The Duke Blue Devils passed their first test of the NCAA Tournament with flying colors. 

Duke was always expected to cruise past Mount St. Mary’s, but what everyone was watching with keen interest was the play of Cooper Flagg.

Flagg, who was the top choice to win the Wooden Award, got injured during Duke’s ACC Tournament match against Georgia Tech on March 13. This raised concerns about his availability for the upcoming Big Dance event.

Not anymore.

Flagg showed no signs of being hampered in a 93-49 win for the Blue Devils, who now turn their attention to No. 9 Baylor in the Round of 32 on Sunday. 

Duke is an 11.5-point favorite at Caesars Sportsbook.

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Baylor vs. Duke betting preview 

Baylor’s game against Mississippi State featured one of the tightest spreads of the first round, so it’s no shock that it was decided by just three points.

However, that final score does not come close to telling the whole story.

After a tight first half, the Bears raced out to a double-digit lead over the Bulldogs with just over eight minutes to go.

It looked like a safe passage into the second round for Baylor.

Betting on College Basketball?

Not so fast.

Mississippi State outscored Baylor, 23-15, in the final 7:11, forcing the Bears to sweat out a game that had no business being that tight.

Needless to say, that won’t fly against Duke.

Baylor vs. Duke pick 

Baylor played like a classic No. 9 seed in its win over Mississippi State.

Against their peers, the Bears can hold their own.

But when Baylor needs to step up in class? That’s when the trouble will start.

Duke is rated as the best team in the country by KenPom and Bart Torvik, and both of those power rankings suggest this spread has room to grow.

The Pick: Duke -11.5

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Why Trust New York Post Betting

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.

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