Welcome to the Winner’s Circle, a weekly column by Bet For The Win senior writer Prince J. Grimes. Here, you’ll read about stats and trends that can help you make informed betting predictions for the week ahead and beyond. Got something you want to see in the next Winners Circle, shoot Prince a message and check back next week for the response.
I can say with a lot of confidence that the majority of college hoops fans weren’t hoping for a storybook ending to Mike Krzyzewski’s career. A lot of those people would’ve been perfectly happy if Duke was eliminated from the NCAA tournament in the first round. But as we prepare for the Final Four this weekend, you have to admit the way things have shaped up is pretty cool.
Duke is set to face archival North Carolina in the Final Four, and the storylines write themselves. It’s the first time Duke and UNC will meet in the NCAA tournament. The last time these teams played, UNC stunned Duke in Coach K’s final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Now, the Tar Heels — who ended Saint Peter’s incredible run — stand in the way of his chance to capture a sixth title on the way out. Duke is favored by 4.5 points, as are the Kansas Jayhawks in the other semifinal game against Villanova.
The spread in that latter matchup might’ve been closer if not for an unfortunate injury to Villanova guard Justin Moore in their win over Houston. He was diagnosed with a torn Achilles, putting some doubt on what they might be able to accomplish against Kansas and beyond. The Jayhawks (+175) join Duke (+150) with the best odds to win it all.
Injury news hit the NBA as well, with Boston Celtics center Robert Williams reportedly tearing his meniscus. The injury comes in the midst of an incredible run by the Celtics from 10th to first place in the Eastern Conference. Williams is a big part of what they’ve been able to do on defense and he’ll be sorely missed as we move closer to the playoffs.
Not all news was bad, however, as Chris Paul made his return to the Phoenix Suns last week. They didn’t miss a beat in his absence, going 11-4 without him, but the Point God no doubt makes them better. They’re 2-0 since getting him back, winning both games against playoff teams — the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets — by 10 points each. This week, they’ll have games against the West’s next best teams, the third place Golden State Warriors on Wednesday and the second place Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
Here are a few more things I’m looking at in the week ahead.
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