One trader told Casino.org that the final shot of the men's NCAA college basketball Elite Eight match between UConn and Duke on Sunday caused one of the greatest last-second swings sportsbooks had ever witnessed in this year's tournament or any tournament prior.

Captured for the Ages

At the half, No. 2 UConn was behind No. 1 Duke by nineteen points in the game, which was contested at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. Alex Karaban's three-pointer late in the game tied the score as the Huskies rallied. After a split free throw, Duke held onto a one-point lead with 10 seconds remaining.

After Duke's inbound was deflected, freshman Braylon Mullins caught the lost ball close to midcourt, flipped it to Karaban, recovered it, and hit a 35-foot prayer in 0.4 seconds. Mullins left his mark on March Madness history.

Now, UConn will participate in their third Final Four in the previous four years.

The March Madness Final Four for the men's national title is now scheduled for this weekend: No. 3 Illinois will play No. 2 UConn at 6:09 p.m. EST at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, followed by No. 1 Michigan and No. 1 Arizona at 8:49 p.m. EST at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“From a game standpoint, that three-pointer completely flipped the result for bettors in their favor,” said Patrick Berbert, College Basketball Trader at Caesars Sportsbook.

“From a futures perspective, we were in a solid position with both UConn and Duke, so the long-term liability didn’t change much. But for bettors who had the game, Mullins’ game-winning three was definitely a moment they’ll be celebrating for a while.”

Games of the Final Four

Before the game, a New Jersey bettor wagered $300,000 on UConn ML (+205), winning $615,000. Duke's live ML odds reached a peak of -5000 during the game.

“The second weekend of the tournament was favorable for the sportsbook with many underdogs covering or winning outright. Illinois upsetting Houston on Thursday was the best outcome for the book. On the futures market, the sportsbook is in good shape with UConn the only remaining liability,” said Michael Ranftle, Senior Trader, BetMGM.

Michigan +2500 to +165, Arizona +4000 to +180, Illinois +6000 to +475, and UConn +1400 to +550 were the line movements this morning at BetMGM (Open to Current). With 18.4%, Arizona is producing the largest handle, followed by Michigan (12.1%) and Duke (9.5%). Michigan is the best result for BetMGM's sportsbook.

Trader: Illinois is being supported by bettors

Berbert claims that there is a lot of drama on the court when UConn plays Illinois. The season-ending 30-0 UConn run in the Elite Eight two years ago is still fresh in Illinois' mind, and UConn won this year's earlier encounter.

However, the two teams currently have somewhat different appearances. Due to injury, Tarris Reed Jr. and Mullins played seldom early in the season, and Keaton Wagler has since emerged as one of Illinois' biggest stars. With Illinois now the tournament's biggest underdog—if you want to call them that—it sets up an exciting rematch.

Everyone has focused on the Michigan vs. Arizona clash on the other side of the bracket. According to KenPom (college basketball rankings) and Caesars' power ratings, they are ranked first and second, respectively, according to Berbert.

“It feels like the kind of game the entire sports world will be watching,” he added. “From a sportsbook standpoint, the setup couldn’t be better. The public is fired up after Arizona and Michigan’s dominant wins and UConn’s incredible game-winning three-pointer against Duke. With those moments still fresh, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if these games push toward record levels for both viewership and betting handle.”

Championship Prospects

In terms of futures, most gamblers will be rooting for Illinois.

“Illinois would be the most favorable outcome for customers still holding tickets in the futures market,” said Berbert. “On the other side, Michigan and Arizona are shaping up to draw even action. Duke being knocked out did shift things a bit, as they were shaping up to be a good outcome for the book in the futures market.

We're still in a terrific position going into what could be two amazing Final Four games, though, with Michigan and Arizona both having solid book results," Berbert said.