The Duke Blue Devils are one of the biggest names in college basketball, but they haven’t won a national title since 2015. Heading into this year’s NCAA Tournament, they are one of the favorites to end that streak.

Much of their success is due to freshman Cooper Flagg, who could win the national Player of the Year award after sweeping the ACC. But Flagg’s status is in question now because of an ankle injury he suffered against Georgia Tech’s in Duke’s opening ACC Tournament game.

Flagg Suffers Ankle Injury in First Half of ACC Tournament Game, Doesn’t Return

Flagg suffered the injury in the first half of Duke’s 78-70 win over Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday, which was the Blue Devils’ first game as they’re the #1 seed.

The Blue Devils managed to hang on as Kon Knueppel stepped up in Flagg’s absence with a game-high 28 points, while Isaiah Evans and Khaman Maluach had 14 apiece. But after the game, Flagg’s injury was the story. After the game, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said:

"It's not about being ready to go tomorrow. That's not the most important thing for us. We've got to see if we can get him right for this run that we can make in the [NCAA] tournament. But I would have to be really convinced that we should even consider seeing if he can go [Friday]. He may not be able to go anyway. He probably won't be able to go anyway. But I think it's a real long shot, a real long shot."

The Blue Devils are set to tip off against their rivals, North Carolina, on Friday night. Flagg is coming off a masterful season in which he won ACC Rookie and Player of the Year. The star freshman is also favored to win the national Player of the Year. There are also Cooper Flagg odds out on whether the Maine native will return to Duke or leave for the NBA Draft, where he is the consensus #1 pick.  

But he’s probably not going to play against the Tar Heels, who will be out for revenge after a pair of Flagg-led losses to the Blue Devils this season. There is a good chance Flagg won’t play for the rest of the ACC Tournament, and now you have to think really hard about Duke’s March Madness betting odds.

What Does Flagg’s Injury Mean for the Blue Devils?

Flagg is a popular choice among college basketball player props, and the Blue Devils were favored to win the NCAA Tournament.

However, some online sportsbooks have dropped them to co-favorites, alongside Auburn, which shows how important Flagg is to the Blue Devils. It’s also worth mentioning that Duke lost Maliq Brown to a shoulder injury. He’s a terrific defender for the Blue Devils, who were sixth in the country in points allowed.

These losses lead to skepticism about Duke’s chances. They’re currently the #1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament, and even if they don’t win it, Duke should still be one of the four #1 seeds, at least.

But without Flagg and Brown, some will be jumping off the Blue Devils’ bandwagon. Without their star player, Duke is a good team, maybe a very good team. But with Flagg, they’re a great team worthy of the status of March Madness favorites.

Don’t be shocked if Flagg sits the rest of the conference tournament. Scheyer and the Duke faithful will want Flagg to be as healthy as possible before the NCAA Tournament starts next Thursday.

The 2025 tennis season is in full swing, and the hard-court season is coming to a close as players will start to ramp up for the French Open on clay at the end of May.

The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California has been hard on the top seeds, who have been losing at a tremendous rate. American Coco Gauff, ranked third in the world, became the latest as she lost to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic on Wednesday.

Serve Lets Gauff Down, Commits Eight Double Faults

Gauff, who turns 21 on Thursday, March 13, couldn’t give herself an early present as she made too many mistakes in a three-set loss to Bencic.

The American committed eight double faults as she struggled with her serve. Five of those came in the first set, which Gauff won 6-3. But Bencic, who turned 28 on March 10, stepped it up in the second set, winning 70.4% of her 1^st-serve points to take the set 6-3. Bencic, despite battling injuries to her hand and foot, was even better in the final set. She won 83.3% of her 1^st-serve points, and broke Gauff at 4-4, despite being down 0-40 in the game. It was a massive win for Bencic, who won the gold medal in women’s singles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

It has been a difficult tournament at Indian Wells if you’re trying to make the best tennis predictions. The top seeds haven’t performed at all. On the men’s side, only second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz and fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev remain out of the top ten players. For the women, Gauff is the fifth top-ten seed to exit this event.

What Does This Mean for Gauff in 2025?

Overall,it’s just a bump in the road for Gauff, who kicked off 2025 by leading the United States to a win in the United Cup. She won all five matches she played that week, culminating in a straight-sets win over Poland’s Iga Świątek, who is ranked just ahead of Gauff at #2.

Gauff lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, and there have been a couple of hard-court defeats in Qatar and Dubai. Her best surface is the hard court, where Gauff is always tough to play because of her aggressive style. But again, it’s early in the year and the 21-year-old from Atlanta has plenty of time to turn things around.

We’ll likely see Gauff next in the Miami Open, which kicks off next week. The American, as well as many others, will have to then switch up their training as clay-court season begins. The French Open is at the end of May, and Gauff has yet to win it, although she has reached the quarterfinals in each of the last four years. She lost in the 2022 final to Swiatek, and again to the Polish star in last year’s semifinal. The world is trying to catch up to Swiatek on clay, as she has won four of the last five French Opens.

But Gauff will be fine, and it’s not like she lost to a bad player. Bencic is getting back to her best after returning to the WTA Tour in October, following the birth of her daughter. She is an Olympic gold medalist, and has been ranked as high as fourth in the world in her career. Gauff will bounce back, potentially in the following weeks in Miami.

March Madness is just over a week away, and the conference tournaments are being run this week. Of the most exciting ones was the West Coast Conference Tournament.

Saint Mary’s had Gonzaga’s number during the regular season. But the Bulldogs have dominated the WCC over the last two decades under head coach Mark Few, and beat the Gaels to win the tournament. This secured their trip to the NCAA Tournament, although Gonzaga was already in the field.

Huff Scores 18, Bulldogs Use Defense to Get to March Madness

The Bulldogs leaned on their tough defense to stifle the 19^th-ranked Gaels and win 58-51 in the WCC final at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Gonzaga’s defense was the difference as they forced 18 turnovers out of the Gaels, while only committing four themselves. The Bulldogs also harassed the Gaels into missing all 16 of their three-point attempts, which was the first time in 787 games that they didn’t make a long-range shot with head coach Randy Bennett leading the way.

Offensively, sophomore forward Braden Huff led the way with 18 points, although he was making just his second start of the season. Senior guard Khalif Battle added 14 and five steals for the Bulldogs, who were outrebounded 43-28 by the Gaels, and still came up with the victory.

Senior big man Mitchell Saxen paced the Gaels with 20 points and seven rebounds, while senior guard Augustas Marciulionis had 12 points, five rebounds, and eight assists. Marciulionis is the two-time defending WCC Player of the Year, but he couldn’t get it going against a Gonzaga defense that targeted him.

It is a remarkable run for the Bulldogs under Few, who has been in charge since 1999. This is their 20^th WCC Tournament win with Few, who has never missed the NCAA Tournament with Gonzaga. The Bulldogs were already, likely, in the NCAA Tournament field. But winning the conference tournament cemented their spot, and now we can start looking at their 2025 March Madness odds.

Can Gonzaga Finally Win the NCAA Tournament?

Winning the NCAA Tournament is the only thing the Bulldogs haven’t done under Few. The closest they came were two runner-up trips in 2017 and 2021, losing to North Carolina and Baylor, respectively. Few has lost just three times in the first round, and not since 2008. That’s something to remember when thinking about your March Madness contests.

The March Madness odds have Gonzaga as a longshot to win it all this season, which suits Gonzaga just fine. They beat Baylor and Indiana early in the season, in terms of ranked opponents, but lost to Kentucky, Connecticut, and UCLA. Then, the Bulldogs defeated Saint Mary’s, who were attempting to become the first team to beat Gonzaga three times in one season since San Diego in 1996-97.

Gonzaga is second in the nation in points scored behind Alabama, but they showed they could defend against Saint Mary’s. Huff and guard Dusty Stromer are sophomores, but the rest of their eight-man rotation consists of all seniors.

They’re experienced and won’t be afraid of anyone in close games. There’s a lot of top-end talent in this year’s NCAA Tournament, especially coming out of the SEC. But that’s why March Madness is so great. Absolutely anything can happen, and usually does, which is why betting on March Madness underdogs can be profitable!

The New York Yankees have made the playoffs in seven of the last eight seasons, and came up just short in last year’s World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. T

hey were poised to attempt another run at their 28^th World Series win in 2025, but they will now have to cope without Gerrit Cole, the reigning AL Cy Young winner. The star pitcher needs Tommy John surgery that will lead to a lengthy absence from the field.

Cole Experienced Elbow Pain in 2024, Didn’t Start Until June

The news was reported on Monday evening at various outlets:

The Yankees would have been a popular spring training bet when Cole was on the mound. However, the 34-year-old made two starts, allowing seven runs in six innings. He was then pelted for six runs on five hits, and was taken deep twice over 2 2/3 innings against Minnesota.

Later on, Cole stated that he felt an “alarming” pain in his elbow, and a torn ulnar collateral ligament. This requires Tommy John surgery, and Cole will be out for 12–18 months. Cole posted a message on his Instagram account.

Cole, who won the 2023 American League Cy Young award and is a six-time All-Star, went through the same thing last spring, when he experienced pain in his elbow. However, it was decided that surgery wasn’t needed, and he started the season on the injured list.

However, Cole still made 17 starts, posting an 8-5 record with a 3.41 ERA, and had 99 strikeouts in 95 innings. He added a 1-0 record in five postseason starts with a 2.17 ERA and also pitched in two World Series games, getting a pair of no-decisions.

How Much Will the Yankees Miss Gerrit Cole?

The Yankees’ World Series odds will likely dip with Cole out of the rotation. It has been a tough few months recently for Yankees’ fans, starting with the World Series loss, then losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets.

The Yankees are also without AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, who suffered a lat strain and will be out three months, at least. The reigning AL champions now have to lean heavily on lefty Max Fried, who spent the first eight seasons of his career in Atlanta before signing an eight-year, $218 million deal with the Yankees in December.

But losing Cole is huge for the Yankees as he’s one of the last old-school, innings-eating pitchers in baseball. He has hit the 200-inning mark in six of his 12 MLB seasons, and twice since joining the Yankees in 2020, when he signed a nine-year, $324 million deal.

That deal was the largest for a pitcher, before the Dodgers signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a $325 million deal over 12 years this winter. Cole signed a four-year extension worth $144 million in November. The Yankees insured that contract, so they’ll get money back.

Cole’s competitiveness is also key to the Yankees’ success, and he’ll likely try to be around the team as much as possible to help motivate, especially with the pitchers. Still, this is a considerable blow to the Yankees’ World Series chances in 2025.

Georgia fails to move forward with legalized sports betting in 2025, leaving further discussions off the table until 2026.

Last week, bettors were given some hope as a committee inside the State House of Representatives approved legislation that would have allowed voters in Georgia to decide the fate of sports betting. The legislation cleared on Wednesday and could’ve given voters the decision to come through a 2026 statewide ballot.

The full House chamber concluded their session Thursday night, and despite setting a record for passing 75 bills, failed to bring two sports betting bills up for a vote. Thursday, March 6 was the Crossover Day deadline for bills to pass through their chamber of origin, so in this case from the House to the Senate. The lack of progression ices the topic until at least next year.

The statewide vote would not have taken place until November 2026. Therefore, any form of legalized Georgia sports betting was unlikely to be a reality until some time in 2027. The timing allows for the option to revisit sports betting next year if new bills are brought forward from either the House or Senate.

Should similar bills ever reach a referendum vote, it’s expected Peach State voters would vote in favor of legalized sports betting. A recent poll in December 2024 by the University of Georgia and Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, found that 63% of voters support allowing sports betting.

Recent Georgian Bills Included State Vote and Guidelines

The two Georgia Sports Betting Bills brought to the House chamber included House Resolution 450 (HR 450) and House Bill 686 (HB 686).

HR 450 sought to allow for a general vote in 2026.

HB 686, outlined how legal Georgia sports betting could operate and benefit the state, calling for the Georgia Lottery Corporation to administer sports betting. Sixteen licenses would have become available and awarded as follows:

• 1 to the Georgia Lottery Corporation
• 5 to in-state professional sports franchises that have expressed interest
• 7 awarded by a bidding process to online sportsbooks
• 1 to the PGA Tour
• 1 to Augusta National Golf Club
• 1 to Atlanta Speedway

The fees were set to be a $100,000 application fee, plus a licensing fee of $1 million.

A tax rate of 24%, up from 20% originally, was proposed to raise funds for Georgia’s pre-kindergarten program and HOPE scholarships. Of the initial $150 million raised from tax revenue, 15% would also have gone towards creating support tools for problem gambling addiction.

Earlier Sports Betting Bills in Georgia Have Also Fizzled Out

This isn’t the first time sports betting bills have fizzled out on the chamber floor. Earlier in 2025 the Georgia Senate created similar legislation in SR 131 and failed to get it across the line. In 2024, the Senate did advance sports betting bills to the House (SB 208), where the package ultimately fell apart.

Currently, 39 states regulate some form of sports betting, including several neighboring Georgian states like Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee. With no regulated sports betting currently within Georgia, offshore Georgia betting sites remain an available option for sports bettors in the Peach State to bet on their favorite teams.

The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to pace Major League Baseball. They’re the reigning World Series champions, and the Dodgers are looking for their third championship in six seasons.

They’ve made some moves on the field in the offseason. But none might be as important as signing manager Dave Roberts to an extension, which they are reportedly close on doing.

Roberts is One of Seven to Win the World Series as a Player and a Manager

The news was reported early on March 7:

The Dodgers are looking to ink Roberts to an extension that would make him the highest-paid manager in all of baseball. It would be fitting for Roberts, who is one of seven people to ever win the World Series as a player and a manager. He won the World Series in 2004 as a player with the Boston Red Sox, stealing a base in the ALCS against the New York Yankees in Game 4 to help extend the series.

As a manager, Roberts was a bench coach for San Diego from 2011 to 2015, and then took the manager job for the Dodgers. Since 2016, Roberts has won two World Series in 2020 and 2024, and they lost two other times in 2017 and 2018. His .627 win percentage is the best in the history of both the American and National Leagues, and only Texas’ Bruce Bochy has more postseason wins than Roberts, who has 56 to 57 for Bochy.

The 52-year-old Roberts won Manager of the Year in his first year in Los Angeles in 2016, and he was 43-17 in the pandemic-shortened MLB season, which is when they also beat Tampa Bay in the World Series. In the other eight seasons, the Dodgers haven’t won less than 91 games under Roberts, and have reached the 100-win mark five times! Even in preseason action, Roberts has the Dodgers as a popular spring training bet.

Roberts will likely eclipse the deal signed by Craig Counsell of the Chicago Cubs, who signed a five-year deal worth $40 million in November 2023.

How Much Will Keeping Roberts Help the Dodgers?

The Dodgers top the World Series odds for 2025 once again, and they made waves in the offseason by signing pitchers Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki. They also re-signed longtime Dodger, pitcher Clayton Kershaw, as well as Tanner Scott and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.

But Roberts is the straw that stirs the drink for the Dodgers, and he’s loved by players, as well as the head office. He does an excellent job, along with his staff, of managing his pitchers, especially his bullpen. Roberts also does an impressive job of keeping stars Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman happy, and if you can do that with your team’s best players, everyone else will fall in line.

For all the money that the Dodgers splash on their roster, keeping Roberts in Los Angeles might be their most important move. You can expect to see the Dodgers at the top of the National League West odds all season, and likely the World Series odds as well.

Formula 1 sports bettors can look forward to enhanced analytics to use in their wagers this year as Formula 1 recently announced a partnership with ALTS Sports Data. The deal is to provide betting-focused real-time predictive analytics for the racing season and beyond that officially kicks off on March 14 at the Australian Grand Prix.

The goal of the partnership is to give fans the opportunity to bet on more markets that are backed with accurate data. In addition to analytics, ALTS will provide proprietary data and priced odds solutions. 

By enhancing the gameday race experience for bettors with their priced odds solutions, live markets and micro-market capabilities, ALTS hopes to further connect F1 to its ever-growing global audience of over 700 million fans.

“Sports betting is an increasingly important part of the global fan experience, and Formula 1 is committed to delivering new and entertaining ways for our audiences to engage with the sport.” – Emily Prazer, Chief Commercial Officer, Formula 1

About ALTS Sports Data

ALTS Sports Data was founded in 2021 and aims to provide sports betting data focused on popular alternative and action sports.

ALTS Sports Data includes partnerships with Championship Drag Racing, World Surf League, Athletes Unlimited, Monster Energy and approximately 20 more action sports leagues and teams.

In January, ALTS Sports Data signed a comparable partnership deal with X Games to allow fans to bet on standard betting markets, plus player props as well. This is the first time X Games fans have been able to wager on the sport.

ALTS is also in partnership with multiple sports betting operators including DraftKings, Fanduel, Bet365, Caesars Sportsbook, Underdog Fantasy and BetMGM.

You need to spend money to make money, and that is especially true in Major League Baseball. As the only league with no salary cap, teams can spend whatever they want.

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is taking that to the limit. The Mets spent more than any other team in 2024, and it was the third consecutive season they have done so.

Mets Pay Out $430 Million in Payroll and Luxury Tax

It was reported on Wednesday that the Mets led the majors in spending once again, shelling out a lot of money for their team.

The Mets had a payroll of $333.3 million in 2024, which broke the record of $319.5 million they spent in 2023. Cohen also had to pay another $97.1 million in luxury tax, which is what a team has to pay when they spend over $237 million.

This doesn’t even count the Mets signing outfielder Juan Soto to a 15-year deal worth a record $765 million in December 2024. But the Mets are lapping the field for most of the major leagues in spending.

Their payrolls from 2021 to 2024 come to more than the Miami Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Tampa Bay Rays have spent, combined, from 2004 to 2024, which is outlandish.

The top five in the final MLB payrolls are:

• New York Mets — $333.3 million
• New York Yankees — $310.9 million
• Los Angeles Dodgers — $270.8 million
• Philadelphia Phillies — $249.1 million
• Houston Astros — $244.9 million

It should be noted that the Dodgers have deferred over $1 billion in salary since 2023.

Will This Spending Get the Mets to the World Series in 2025?

It remains to be seen if all this spending will get the Mets their first World Series since 1986. Most 2025 World Series odds have the Mets behind the Dodgers at most MLB betting sites. However, they still have to go out and play the games.

But the payroll list shows that it does pay to shell out big bucks if you want success in Major League Baseball. The Dodgers won it all in 2024, and are favored to do so again. They beat the Yankees in the World Series, and the Dodgers also beat the Mets in the NLCS.

The Mets got past Philadelphia in the NLDS, but Houston lost to Detroit in an AL Wild-Card series. All five teams at least made it to the playoffs, and the Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets all managed to skip the wild-card round.

This is both good and bad for baseball, as the lower-spending teams need to be encouraged to invest more in their teams. However, the higher-spending teams are going wild with their wallets. The conversation is ongoing about how to control spending in baseball, but there likely won’t be a solution (or a salary cap) anytime soon.

Duke’s Cooper Flagg is, far and away, slated to be the consensus #1 pick for the 2025 NBA Draft in June. The forward has had a great season for Duke, who are one of the favorites for March Madness.

Flagg did it all on Monday night for what might be his final home game at Duke, filling the box score in a 93-60 rout of Wake Forest.

Flagg Stars, Duke Clinches Share of ACC Regular-Season Title

It was a great team win for the Blue Devils, but Flagg was the star of the show against the Demon Deacons at Cameron Indoor Stadium.  

The freshman led the team with 28 points, adding 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, and a pair of steals in a virtuoso performance. Flagg left the game with 2:21 to go, to chants of “one more year” from the rabid “Cameron Crazies”.

The win gave Duke at least a share of the ACC regular-season title with an 18-1 conference record, and they’re now 27-3 overall. The Blue Devils also ended the regular season with a perfect 17-0 record at Cameron, arguably the toughest place to play in college basketball.

Flagg is averaging 19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for the Blue Devils, along with 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks. He is a popular selection in college basketball player props all season.

His all-around game has made him a shoo-in for the #1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but his job isn’t done yet. Duke ends the regular season on Saturday at bitter rivals North Carolina, who are battling for a March Madness spot and a win would go a long way.

The 18-year-old wouldn’t clarify his future, saying he was “living in the present” after the game. But it would be a massive surprise if Flagg returned for another season with the NBA calling.

What Does Flagg Mean to Duke’s March Madness Chances?

The Blue Devils and Auburn are at the top of the March Madness odds for the tournament, which starts on March 18. Flagg is the main reason why the Blue Devils are thought of so highly, but he gets plenty of help from guards Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor.

Duke is also one of the best defensive teams in the country, with length and athleticism all over the court. As good as Flagg is offensively, he’s also an excellent defender who knows where help, has active hands, and in college, his thin frame isn’t an issue.

The Blue Devils should go into the ACC Tournament with the #1 seed and will likely be one of the four #1 seeds for March Madness. An important part of their success will be Flagg, who is looking to leave his mark on Duke before going pro.

When the Phoenix Suns traded for Bradley Beal, getting the guard from Washington, many expected the Suns to challenge in the NBA’s Western Conference.

But it has been a disaster for the Suns, who haven’t made it past the second round since losing to Milwaukee in the Finals in 2021. They may not even make the playoffs this season, and that could lead to a breakup between Kevin Durant and the Suns.

Suns Out of the Playoff Picture, Durant is “Embarrassed”

It was reported on March 2 that Durant could be on the move this summer, and the relationship started to go south when he was in trade conversations ahead of the deadline.

ESPN’s Shams Charania stated:

"Durant was blindsided when he was involved in trade conversations. But this offseason, from my understanding, what it would look like is Durant and the Suns would work together on any potential trade to a contender in a trade scenario. I would expect four to six contending teams to have some serious involvement with Durant."

Things didn’t get better for the Suns on Sunday, when they were trounced 116-98 at home by Minnesota. Durant said he was “embarrassed” by the game.

"We didn't play up to our standards at all. We embarrassed the fans, and we embarrassed ourselves the way we played. I want us to be better."

The Suns are now 28-33 as of March 3, and they’re four games behind Dallas for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. There is still time for a turnaround, which could keep Durant in Phoenix. However, it seems like the end of the road is near for the two sides. They were in the Jimmy Butler stakes, and he wanted to come to Phoenix.

However, Beal’s no-trade clause scuttled a potential deal, and Butler was traded from Miami to Golden State. Coincidentally, the Warriors also inquired about Durant, who spent four seasons and won two championships there. However, the future Hall of Famer didn’t want to leave Phoenix. Durant leads the team with 26.7 points, adding 6.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists, but it hasn’t translated to team success for the Suns.

Where Could Kevin Durant Land Next Season?

Phoenix’s NBA championship odds are down the drain, and now they have to focus on simply making the playoffs. There were lines at NBA betting sites pertaining to possible trade destinations for Durant, and there will surely be more soon.

Charania said there were 4–6 teams looking to acquire Durant, and one almost certainly is Houston, who have young players that the Suns could use, as well as draft capital.

Beal can’t be moved, and the Suns will likely look to build around Booker. But they have the league’s highest payroll by almost $16 million over Minnesota, and they’re not in the playoffs. That can’t sit well for Suns’ owner Mat Ishiba, so look for Durant to be on the move this summer.