Duke not among favorites or popular bet to win 2022 NCAA Tournament in Mike Krzyzewski's final year as college basketball season tips off

Doesn't it seem like only a few weeks ago that Baylor upset unbeaten Gonzaga to win the 2021 NCAA Tournament? College basketball returns already with a crowded slate Tuesday, highlighted by No. 9 Duke against No. 10 Kentucky in the second game of the Champions Classic from Madison Square Garden. It will be the final season opener in the Hall of Fame career of Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is retiring. Duke is +1600 at Caesars Sportsbook to send Coach K off with another national title, which is not among the top favorites.

Krzyzewski is the all-time winningest coach in Division I history with 1,170 victories and he has won five national titles at Duke, last in 2015. This will be his 42nd season there and Tuesday will be his 1,400th game at Duke. The Blue Devils flopped last year in finishing 13-11 and missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995 when Krzyzewski only coached about half the season due to back surgery.

He does welcome another stellar freshman class, led by Seattle's Paolo Banchero, the ACC's Preseason Player and Freshman of the Year. He could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Sister site 247Sports ranked him as the No. 2 overall player in the Class of 2021 behind Minneapolis center Chet Holmgren, who is with Gonzaga.

Duke is not taking much action at Caesars Sportsbook to win it all, just four percent of all tickets sold and money wagered.

"I'm a little surprised that Duke hasn't been getting as much action," said Adam Pullen, Assistant Director of Trading at Caesars Sportsbook. "Maybe it's because they've been overhyped in recent seasons and they haven't won it in a while despite being one of the favorites every year. There may be some sentimental people who went to have a bet on Duke in Coach K's final year, it would be a great story. But people have realized they haven't won it in six years, so they're not as eager to jump on the bandwagon now."

The Zags, who would have gone down as an all-time great team last season had they finished unbeaten with the national championship, are the +600 favorites to win the 2022 title game on April 4 from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. They open against a slightly overmatched Dixie State on Tuesday.

Gonzaga is taking the most action at Caesars in terms of money wagered to win the national title at 19 percent and is second in tickets sold at eight percent. One Nevada bettor put $30,000 on Gonzaga at +500 for potential winnings of $150,000. Kentucky (+1400) is first in tickets sold at nine percent and second in money wagered at 11 percent.

"Gonzaga is always stacked," Pullen said. "Their flat showing in the final after playing in one of the greatest games ever might have left a sour taste in some people's mouths. But I don't mind taking a bet like that early on, on the favorite. It's the longshots that you have to worry about more early on. Gonzaga looks great on paper and they're definitely a Final Four-caliber team, but anything can happen in one game in March Madness."

Michigan, Villanova and UCLA are all +1200 second-favorites behind Gonzaga. The Wolverines are third in tickets sold (seven percent) and fourth in money wagered (eight percent). Defending national champion Baylor opened at +850 but is now all the way up to +2000.

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