Georgia Tech was the surprised winner of the 2021 ACC Tournament that was handicapped by COVID-19 issues. This year, Duke earned the top seed by winning the ACC regular-season championship for the first time since 2020. In a year where the ACC is considered to be down by most basketball observers, it sets up to be a good year for the Blue Devils to send coach Mike Krzyzewski out on a good note.
There are a deep pool of teams that have shown the ability to play strong at times. However, most of the teams in the league have had a lot of inconsistency. Due to the limited number of teams that are perceived to reach the NCAA Tournament this year, a lot of teams that have lower seeds have plenty to gain by winning the whole thing.
Let’s go over all of the available sport betting information to find some of the better NCAAB expert picks to take. The expectations for fierce games in this tournament should be high.
ACC Conference Tournament Betting Analysis
Blue Devils are loaded
Duke is a far thing from the product of a weak conference. The Blue Devils average 80.4 points per game and beat their opponents by an average of 14.4 points per game. Duke has non-conference victories over Kentucky and Gonzaga, which are two programs that have been in the top 10 for most of the season.
The Blue Devils are led by superstar freshman Paolo Banchero, who averages 17.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Duke closed the season by winning seven of its last eight games, with the only loss being a bizarre 94-81 loss against UNC in its season finale. The Blue Devils have five players who average in double figures scoring and knock down 8.3 3-pointers per game.
Duke is a deservedly-heavy -137 to win the tournament outright. While this bet isn’t going to bring back a ton of value, it is going to take a lot to unseat the Blue Devils.
Do you trust the Tar Heels?
North Carolina closed the season by winning its final five games and finally looked like a Tar Heels team with some promise. However, UNC, which is 23-8 overall and 15-5 in ACC play, was 0-3 on neutral floors this season and have had its share of head-scratching losses. The most recent of those was a 76-67 home loss to Pitt before the start of its six-game winning streak.
So, is there value in North Carolina, which is seeded third and +600 to win? The Tar Heels can score with almost anyone, contributing an average of 78.6 points per game.
Armando Bacot is a double-double machine, averaging 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. Caleb Love is the Tar Heels’ second-leading scorer, averaging 15.7 points per game.
Notre Dame may be undervalued
The Fighting Irish have rallied from a 3-5 start by relying on its outside shooting. Notre Dame knocks down 9.2 3-pointers per game while making 38 percent of its attempts.
The Fighting Irish are seeded second, but +800 to win the tournament, which is the fourth-best betting odds. Dane Goodwin leads the team by making 64 treys and averages 14.0 points per game.
Blake Wesley leads the team by scoring 14.8 points per game. Notre Dame has a major upset win over Kentucky on its resume while taking losses to Illinois, Boston College, and Texas A&M. The Fighting Irish last made an appearance in the ACC final in 2016 and last won the title in 2015.
Best of the rest
Miami was near the top of the ACC regular-season standings and ended up finishing in fourth place in the conference. The Hurricanes have the ability to score in bunches and play solid defense.
Miami will want to try and add a win or two in order to ensure the Hurricanes are in the field. If Miami gets hot, the Hurricanes will be worth a look at +1200.
Florida State had a difficult second half of the conference schedule due to injuries and illness. The Seminoles are +2500 to win and may be worth a look if they can rediscover their identity in short order.
Wake Forest has the third-shortest NCAAB odds, but the Demon Deacons are seeded fifth and would have a tough path to the finals.
ACC Tournament Betting Prediction
Duke is the heavy favorite for a reason. The Blue Devils have the top-end talent and will be eager to bounce back from a humiliating loss in Coach K’s final home game. Duke will use this game as a springboard to greater success.
If you are looking for NCAAB betting picks, the Blue Devils are the way to go. They will suck all the drama out of the field and coast to a tournament victory.
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