Duke basketball odds are some of the most exciting to watch in college basketball. The Duke Blue Devils basketball program is a true “blue blood” in the sport.
As a fixture in the North Carolina sports betting landscape, they naturally have a strong in-state following in addition to a national profile.
Unfortunately for those who are looking to review the odds and place wagers on the Blue Devils, online sports betting isn’t legal yet in North Carolina.
However, fans can still place their bets using the state’s retail sportsbooks.
Duke Basketball Odds At The Best Sportsbooks
Sportsbook NCAA Odds
DraftKings Sportsbook North Carolina N/A
FanDuel Sportsbook North Carolina N/A
BetMGM North Carolina N/A
Where Can You Bet On Duke Basketball
Right now, sports betting is only available at North Carolina’s three retail sportsbooks. Those in-person hotspots are located within the state’s tribal casinos.
Online Sportsbooks In North Carolina
The North Carolina Lottery Commission would be tasked with issuing up to 12 sports betting licenses if and when sports betting is legalized. Among the 12, some would be retail — or brick and mortar — locations. Others would be online sportsbooks that can be accessed from mobile apps and offer bonuses.
Retail Sportsbooks In North Carolina
Right now, there are three in-person Las Vegas-style retail sportsbooks in North Carolina. Sports fans can find these located within the state’s casinos.
If you live in North Carolina, then you can travel to these locations to place your bets on the Duke Blue Devils:
- Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort
- Catawba Two Kings Casino
- Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River
Duke Schedule 2023
The first part of the college basketball season features several prestigious non-conference matchups, but the second part of the season is when we see most of the top rivalries. The conference schedule leads into the ACC Basketball Tournament which leads into the NCAA Tournament.
Speaking of top rivalries, Duke plays its chief nemesis, the North Carolina Tar Heels, at least twice each season. Occasionally college basketball fans are treated to a third matchup in the conference tournament. A strong finish in the regular season and a quality showing in the conference tournament could put Duke in great standing for the NCAA Tournament. Their favorable odds reflect the high likelihood that they will qualify for the “Big Dance.”
How Are Duke Basketball Betting Odds Calculated?
“Money line” odds may be the simplest odds for someone entering the sports betting market to grasp. Generally speaking, bettors wagering the money line will simply pick a winner. In a money line wager, the favorite is represented by a minus (-) sign while the underdog is represented by a plus (+) sign. Consider for a moment that Duke heads into a matchup listed as -150. The talent gap between Duke and its opponent is often wide, so it’s not a shock to see them favored so heavily.
In this case, a bettor will be required to put up $150 for the chance to net $100 in the event of a Blue Devils victory. If Duke is the underdog in a particular matchup, their odds may be +110. Bettors may need to wait until deep into the NCAA Tournament to see Duke on the plus-money side of the matchup. In this scenario, a bettor would put up $100 for the opportunity to net $110 for a Duke win.
A lot goes into the process of setting lines and odds. Sportsbooks employ oddsmakers who are responsible for conducting extensive research to come up with the right numbers. Once the line opens and money starts pouring in, the task for oddsmakers is balancing the risk to ensure the book comes out ahead. A natural progression from money line betting is point spread betting. It’s similar in the respect that a bettor chooses a side. However, instead of selecting a winner, the task is to select a side to “cover.” A team can cover while winning or losing; a team can also fail to cover while winning or losing.
For instance, if Duke is a heavy favorite, the spread may be set at -12.5. In this case, they need to win by 13 in order to cover the spread. Larger spreads indicate a higher likelihood of a win, but bettors must weigh the risk of determining if the favorite will win by such a significant margin. If Duke wins this game 113-100, they will have covered the spread. However, if they only win 112-100, they will have failed to cover the 12.5-point spread.
On the other end of the spectrum, a bettor can wager on the underdog. Duke rarely gets points — quick aside: a favorite “lays” points while an underdog “gets” points — but if they’re +2.5 on the spread, they need to lose by no more than 2. So, a bettor who sides with Duke at +2.5 will win the wager if Duke loses 80-78. But if they lose 80-77, they will fail to cover the spread. While this may be confusing to someone just starting out, a little practice is all it takes to become more comfortable with money line and point spread betting.
Duke Basketball Futures Odds
| Sportsbook | NCAA Odds | Final Four | ACC Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings Sportsbook NC | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| FanDuel Sportsbook NC | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| BetMGM Sportsbook NC | N/A | N/A | N/A |
It’s safe to expect Duke to be featured in the NCAA Tournament, but those who support the Blue Devils know that simply making the field is only the tip of the iceberg. Advancing to the Final Four is the standard for the sports’ blue bloods, and Duke is certainly among that class. Their odds of reaching the semifinal round are relatively short, and that’s no surprise considering their talent.
Duke Basketball Prop Bets
Proposition bets, referred to as “prop” bets for short, are fun wagers that can be made on an individual’s accomplishments in a game or over a season, or on a team. These accomplishments don’t necessarily relate to one side winning or losing, but the way the odds work can be similar, i.e. something that is more likely to happen will carry the minus (-) while something less likely to occur will carry the plus (+).
An example of a player prop bet is “Will Player X score Over/Under 20.5 points?” Additionally, a team-related prop may be “Will Team X make Over/Under 11.5 three-pointers?” Props are a great way for bettors to become exposed and invested in more aspects of a particular contest.
Live Betting On Duke Basketball In North Carolina
Sportsbook apps in the industry are faced with stiff competition and thus are pushed to deliver a better product for their bettors. One feature that several books are offering is live, in-game wagering. While wagers are traditionally made before the start of a game, these live wagers can be placed while the game is in progress.
Consider the hypothetical scenario of Duke entering a game as a 15-point favorite. If their opponent gets off to a torrid start and the first half ends locked at 45-45, Duke’s updated odds may fall to -8. A bettor who remains bullish on the Blue Devils proceeding to a comfortable win can bet on them with friendlier odds. The list of sportsbook apps that feature live, in-game betting includes but is not limited to FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook. Both are great books for any bettor to keep in his or her rotation.
How To Bet On The NCAA Tournament In North Carolina
Just so we’re covering all the bases, North Carolina residents willing to travel to the western region of the state can visit one of the two Cherokee-owned and operated sportsbooks. Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington DC are relatively short distances from North Carolina. Those desperate to bet online could consider a road trip, but there are not currently any avenues for bettors to enjoy sports gambling in the state.
Duke Basketball Arena
The Duke Blue Devils play their home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, one of the most iconic venues in college sports. The multipurpose arena holds a modest 9,314 — significantly fewer than several of their conference rivals — but produces one of the most intimidating environments for visiting teams. The raucous atmosphere certainly serves as an added home-court advantage for the Blue Devils, who rarely lose at home. The arena is located at 115 Whitford Drive in Durham, North Carolina.
Duke Basketball Odds FAQs
Yes. DraftKings offers odds and lines on Duke basketball games and futures. DraftKings also provides its users with live, in-game betting.
Oddsmakers consider numerous factors to arrive at a particular line or set of odds on a matchup or for a team. Among the considerations include a team’s current run of play, their opponent’s current run of play, injuries, and home/road performance among others.
Instead of seeking the “best” book, bettors should keep multiple sportsbook apps in their rotation. Even though the odds ultimately wind up in a similar range, not every sportsbook makes the same adjustments at the same time. Bettors can often find better odds for a matchup from one book on a given day than another. However, in another day or two, a different book may have the most favorable odds. It pays to shop around.
North Carolina does not have legal sports betting at this time. However, the expectation is for retail and mobile betting to arrive once sports betting is legalized. We’ll continue to update the expected launch of sportsbooks, but it’s reasonable to expect FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook to be available.
Technically speaking, North Carolinians can bet at one of the two Cherokee-owned and operated sportsbooks in the western part of the state. For now, though, that is the only option.
Duke seemingly has as many fans who root for them as they do fans who root vehemently against them. When a team is so polarizing, it’s often a sign that they will have a lot of action on the betting front.
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