NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee Selects Duke Over Tennessee: So Do Oddsmakers
The AP has ranked Tennessee number one in Men's College Basketball over the past three weeks but both the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee and oddsmakers have Duke number one and favored to win the Championship.
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Duke was coming in at 2-1 odds to win the NCAA Championship for a payout potential of $20 on every $10 bet. Tennessee would pay $15 for every $2 bet or around 7.5-1 odds.
The Blue Devils were No. 1 in the East Region and the Vols topped the South, with Virginia in the Midwest and Gonzaga out West earning the other No. 1 seeds.
"They are heading to the East by the slightest of margins," committee chairman and Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir said. "There was a very close conversation between the No. 1 seed and the No. 2 seed, but the strength of schedule won out in Duke's case."
The Vols (21-1, 10-0) moved to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 in Week 12 after Duke's loss to Syracuse.
"When I say they're the No. 2 seed, really, in the committee's mind, it was 1A and 1B," Muir said.
- Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com (Associated Press was used for this article)
