Zion Williamson return moves Duke into ACC favorite status

Duke announced that superstar forward Zion Williamson will make his much-awaited return to action against Syracuse in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. The game tips off at 9 p.m. ET and can be watched on ESPN.

This marks Williamson’s first game since spraining his right knee against North Carolina on Feb. 20. The Blue Devils were 3-3 straight up and 2-4 against the spread in their six games without the likely No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Duke has been installed as an 11.5-point favorite against Syracuse. Had Williamson sat, the line would have been adjusted anywhere from two to six points, depending on the sportsbook. Duke was a 17-point home favorite against Syracuse on Jan. 14 with Williamson in a game they lost 95-91, and a 5.5-point road favorite against Syracuse on Feb. 23 without Williamson in a game they won 75-65, according to OddsShark.

The big change for Duke is in conference odds. They opened with the second best odds (+175) to win the ACC tournament, just behind Virginia. They have now moved into favored status at +130, while Virginia has slipped to +175, per OddsShark.

North Carolina dropped from +300 to +375, likely due to the fact that they could play Duke in the semifinals. UNC faces Louisville at 7 p.m., followed by Duke-Syracuse closing the night. The winner of those two games square off at 9 p.m. Friday.