Duke and North Carolina are usually the first two teams that come to mind when sizing up the betting on the ACC basketball tournament, the latest edition of which tips off Tuesday afternoon in Greensboro. And the Blue Devils are the defending ACC tournament champions. But bettors might be wise to look elsewhere when trying to pick the winner of this year’s event.
Heading into this ACC tournament, it appears only four ACC teams, Florida State, Virginia, Louisville, and Duke, are locks to make next week’s NCAA tournament. Such teams like North Carolina State, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, and Syracuse probably need to win this ACC tournament to earn an invite to the Big Dance.
The Seminoles claimed the ACC regular-season title and the top seed for this ACC tournament by going 16-4 in conference play this season. Florida State swept two games from Louisville, split two games with Virginia, but lost its only meeting with Duke. The Seminoles also finished their regular season on a 6-1 run.
Florida State is lined as a +200 favorite on the ACC tournament championship betting board.
Duke finished in a three-way tie for second place in the ACC at 15-5, but due to tie-breakers goes into this ACC tournament as the four seed. The Blue Devils won that lone meeting with the Seminoles but lost their lone meetings with Louisville and Virginia. The Dukies also finished with just three wins over their last six games.
Nonetheless, Duke is the second choice on the ACC tournament betting board at +225.
Louisville also played 15-5 in the ACC this season to claim the three seed for this ACC tournament. The Cardinals beat Duke in Durham in the only meeting between the teams, split two games with Virginia but lost twice to Florida State. They also only played 3-4 over their last seven games.
Louisville is the third pick on the ACC tournament board at +325.
Finally, Virginia also played 15-5 in the ACC to claim the two seed for this ACC tournament. The Cavaliers stumbled a bit through the middle of their campaign, at one point losing four of five games, but finished with an eight-game winning streak, which included victories over Duke and Louisville.
UVA is the fourth betting choice to win this ACC tournament at +700.
Those top four seeds receive double byes into the quarterfinal round of this ACC tournament.
Elsewhere on the ACC tournament betting board North Carolina State, a loser of three of its last five games, is lined at +2500. Clemson, which owns victories this season against Duke, Louisville, and Florida State, is getting +3000. Syracuse is lined at +3300, and Notre Dame is getting +4000, as is North Carolina, which finished in a tie for last place in the ACC.
