Zion Williamson, Duke Favored to Win National Title over Gonzaga, Kentucky, More

The oddsmakers are clearly unconcerned with Zion Williamson's long-term health.

Caesars' latest odds have Duke as the heavy favorite (+250) to win the national championship, with no other school coming in at better than 7-1 odds. Gonzaga (+700) has the next-best odds and is followed by Kentucky and Virginia (+800).

The Blue Devils have lost two of their last three games, thanks in large part to the absence of Williamson. The superstar freshman suffered a knee sprain less than a minute into Duke's loss to North Carolina last week when his shoe came apart.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Williamson is currently undergoing a four-part process the school uses to help players recover from knee injuries. 

"He's going through that, and when he gets through all of them, we'll see where he's at," Krzyzewski told reporters. "There's no timetable. We don't want to put the pressure of time on him."

It's clear that Duke has the highest ceiling in the country when Zion is on the floor. He's going to be the No. 1 pick in June's NBA draft and is a physically imposing player who unlocks everything Duke does at both ends of the floor, particularly with his defensive versatility. RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish have proved incapable of shouldering the entire load themselves.

With Duke being so top-heavy, it raises the question of whether one minor injury could derail its title hopes. 

That's when picking a champion becomes a little uncomfortable because every team at the top has its own set of flaws. The West Coast Conference does not give Gonzaga many tests. Kentucky has no crunch-time leading scorer. Virginia is a year removed from becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 and has a history of tournament disappointments.

The other teams listed as contenders are threats to make a deep run into Final Four or get upset in the first weekend.

The possibilities are endless and could simply hinge on the health of one person.