North Carolina Surging in March Madness Odds After Massive Duke Win
By Cem Yolbulan
Despite being one of the most dominant teams in the country all season, North Carolina never got the respect it deserved from oddsmakers, regularly lagging behind other collegiate powerhouses. The Tar Heels capped off their impressive ACC run where they went 17-3 with a statement win over Duke on Saturday.
The road win against their rivals was North Carolina's sixth-straight victory and it finally caught the attention of sportsbooks.
North Carolina Surging, Duke Falling in March Madness Odds
Last week, UNC and Duke were neck and neck in odds to win the NCAA Tournament. After proving that they are the better side, the Tar Heels' odds to win it all climbed to +2200 while Duke fell to +2500.
North Carolina is still behind the likes of UConn, Houston, Purdue, Arizona, and Tennessee, but that is unlikely to change considering how underrated ACC seems to be in the national media.
The gap between UNC and Duke has similarly widened in their Final Four odds. The Tar Heels have surged to +440 odds to be one of the last four teams left in April. Duke, on the other hand, has fallen down a tier to be tied at +500 with Kentucky and Creighton.
There will still be plenty of water under the bridge before the big dance. The ACC Tournament can change a lot of things in terms of seeding and the bracket. This will further impact the odds ahead of March Madness.
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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.