Odds Say Zion Williamson Does Play Again for Duke in 2019
By Ryan Bolta in College Basketball
Updated: March 30, 2020 at 1:10 pm EDTPublished:
- Zion Williamson was injured when his Nike shoe broke apart.
- The injury is being called a knee strain.
- Williamson is widely projected to be the #1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Many things have caused the internet to break over the years, but Wednesday night was the first time a broken shoe was the culprit.
When Zion Williamson broke through his Nike sneaker and spilled to the floor many narratives were created, none bigger than if the surefire number 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft would ever play college basketball again.
Odds Zion Williamson Plays Again for Duke in 2019
| Will Zion Williamson Play Again For Duke In 2019? | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | -265 |
| No | +205 |
*All odds taken 2/21
The odds offered are heavily in favor of his return to Duke, which is something all Blue Devils fans will happy to see. After his exit early against North Carolina, the Tar Heels had their way with Duke, ultimately winning the game by 16 points.
Zion's shoe: destroyed 😳 pic.twitter.com/LqQ2te0Jay
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 21, 2019
If you like the chances he returns, you can actually bet exactly when he’ll be back on the court in a new prop being offered.
Odds When Zion Williamson Returns
| When Will Zion Williamson Return? | Odds |
|---|---|
| Regular Season | +150 |
| ACC Tournament | +175 |
| NCAA Tournament | +250 |
| Does Not Return This Year | +275 |
While these options paint a positive picture, the reality however is more grim.
Not only is it the wise decision to leave school and prep for a lucrative career in the NBA, there’s precedence as well.
Williamson Could Follow Lead Of Projected #1 NFL Draft Pick
Nick Bosa suffered an injury for the Ohio State Buckeyes this season and made the not-so-popular decision to leave school.
He could have returned for a late-season playoff push and played the rivalry game against Michigan, but he opted out of the NCAA and moved on.
As much as media members and fans critiqued the decision, it didn’t seem to matter. Bosa is too big, too good, and will likely end up the number 1 pick in the NFL draft anyways. Does that sound familiar?
"Zion Williamson is a prodigy. He should never play again at Duke… The appetizer portion of this meal is over. Let's move to the entrée: The NBA." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/FoBo6lgOZ6
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) February 21, 2019
Insurance Policy Isn’t Insurance Enough
Williamson has an insurance policy that will pay him $8 million if he falls past the first half of the first round in the 2019 NBA Draft.
That sounds like a lot of dough, but for a player projected to make more than half that per year on a shoe deal, in a league where players sign deals north of $200 million, it really isn’t that much.
Would playing and winning with Duke be great? Of course. Is it worth risking lottery money to do so? Anyone outside of Cameron Indoor Stadium will say of course not.
Hope young fella is ok! Literally blew thru his 👟. 🙏🏾
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 21, 2019
It’s likely Williamson returns to school. He seems like the type that won’t want his college career to end on a fluke injury caused by a faulty shoe.
If these were even odds, it would be smart to lean towards his return. But the prop is offering far from even prices.
You win in the event the injury is worse than expected and he can’t play, or if Williamson comes to his senses and realizes playing for free in NCAA really isn’t the best choice.
Considering the wise decision comes with a +275 pay out, I’d lean towards sprinkling some action on the unpopular choice that Zion in Duke blue is a thing of the past.
Sports Writer
Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
