Cooper Flagg Injured, Causes Change In Championship Odds For Duke

The Duke Blue Devils entered conference tournament week as the top ranked team in the entire country. They have been one of the favorites to win the National Championship all season long, and held that notion with a designation of +320 before Thursday’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal game against Georgia Tech. But due to an unfortunate injury to top NBA prospect Cooper Flagg, those odds have shifted.

Flagg Injured, Championship Odds Shift For Duke

Duke was struggling early on in their contest against the inferior Yellow Jackets. Down 26-17 in the final minutes of the first half, Flagg came down with an uncontested rebound, and fell to the court in a heap. He was clutching his left ankle, and replays showed that he had badly twisted it. He struggled to hobble off of the floor under his own power, and was immediately taken back to the Blue Devil’s locker room.

It was announced shortly thereafter that Flagg would not be returning to the game.

The severity of the injury is still unknown, and it is unclear how much time the freshman will miss. Duke was able to come back in the game and advance in the ACC Tournament, but the team will certainly be cautious in bringing him back before the start of the NCAA Tournament, if in fact the diagnosis is not season-ending.

Duke’s title odds have shifted following the injury to freshman sensation Cooper Flagg 👀

(Courtesy of @BetMGM) pic.twitter.com/IPTkOLXeDr

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 13, 2025

But regardless of the outcome of the tests and x-rays, Duke has seen a shift in their odds to win the championship. BetMGM has reported that their designation of +320 has shifted to +375 in the wake of the rolled ankle, and will likely rise even higher if Flagg is indeed projected to miss any extended period of time.

The field of 64 for the 2025 NCAA Tournament won’t tip off for another week.