Duke fans may have had their faith in Jon Scheyer shaken a bit after the Blue Devils' latest March Madness meltdown, but oddsmakers in Las Vegas remain undeterred.
For the second year in a row, Duke had a total collapse in the NCAA Tournament. A year after a stunning blown lead against Houston in the Final Four, the Blue Devils blew a 19-point lead against UConn in the Elite Eight, culminating in a shocking turnover and a 35-foot dagger by the Huskies' Braylon Mullins.
Scehyer has some soul-searching to do this offseason to figure out what keeps going wrong in those situations for Duke. But oddsmakers remain convinced that Scheyer is going to win a National Championship at Duke. Maybe as early as next season.
While it's still far too early for these kinds of things, Vegas has never been shy about taking action. With the Transfer Portal in full swing and rosters more in flux than ever before, the Blue Devils have been installed as the early 2027 National Championship favorite, according to FanDuel.
At +700, Duke narrowly edged out now-defending National Champion Michigan at +750. The Blue Devils and Wolverines are far and away ahead of the pack, with Arizona at +1200 coming in third.
Odds are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are liable to change at anytime.
Duke is the National Championship favorite for 2027
Scheyer has spoken about a willingness to be more aggressive in the Transfer Portal this cycle than he was a year ago, and Duke is already in contention for some of the biggest names in the portal.
Duke will have more roster turnover again this offseason, with Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans, and Patrick Ngongba all expected to enter the NBA Draft. The Blue Devils also lose ACC Defensive Player of the Year Maliq Brown, and sophomore guard Darren Harris entered the Transfer Portal on Tuesday.
But Scheyer once again signed the No. 1-ranked recruiting class, highlighted by a trio of 5-stars in Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr., and Bryson Howard.
If he can supplement the roster with a couple of big names in the portal, then Duke will be right back in the thick of the National Championship race in 2027.
Vegas is certainly expecting it.
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