ACC Tournament Betting Preview with Current Odds and Analysis
3/10/11
The ACC Tournament will be played in Greensboro, North Carolina from March 10-13. Last year’s Tournament was won by eventual NCAA Tournament champion Duke. They will be the favorite to repeat thanks to a strong season under Coach K. Let’s take a look at the top contenders.
Duke Blue Devils (27-3, 13-2)- Seniors Kyle Singler (17.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG) and Nolan Smith (21.3 PPG, 5.2 APG) have kept this team going strong. They have lost only 3 Games all year and possess wins over North Carolina, UAB, Kansas State and Temple. While a very good team, Duke isn’t as explosive as they have been in recent years. Before they were always a threat to go on a big run and stomp on their opponent before the second half even begins. We haven’t seen much of that this year. Look for Duke to play strong as always, but they could be vulnerable against a desperate team.
North Carolina Tar Heels (23-6, 13-2)- This team has really gotten better! LAte in the year they had wins against Virginia Tech, Clemson, Maryland and Boston College. Early in the year they beat Kentucky and of course they finished the year with a big win over Duke. The Tar Heels are a very big team with a dominant inside Game. Not only that, but they can hit three pointers too. Roy Williams truly has a gifted team. He’s got reason to try and win this Tournament too. Some pundits say North Carolina is a candidate for #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they claim victory here. With a win over Duke in their final regular season Game to make them the regular season ACC Champs and the ACC Tournament trophy it would be hard to deny them. 7 footer Tyler Zeller won’t be an easy matchup for any team.
Florida State Seminoles (20-9, 10-5)- Without star Chris Singleton (13.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG) it’s hard to imagine them winning this. They did play North Carolina strong at home and nearly beat them if not for a clutch 3 by the Tar Heels. They’ve got a punchers chance.
Virginia Tech Hokies (19-9, 9-6)- This is the dark horse of the ACC Tournament. The Hokies have looked great down the stretch and nothing seems to rattle them. They beat Duke, but then lost to a desperate Boston College team. One thing that worries us is that they don’t seem to be nearly as good on the road. When at home they are a top 25 caliber team. Can they harness that strength and take it to Greensboro? If so they could take home the ACC Tournament.
No upset pick here. Despite losing the regular season title to North Carolina to end the year, Duke remains the class of the ACC and perhaps the entire Nation. Should the Blue Devils meet up with the Tar Heels in the title Game, expect a very different result than we saw the other night.
Here are the current odds to win the ACC Tournament (contenders only)
Duke 1/1
North Carolina 2/1
Clemson 5/1
Florida State 8/1
Virginia Tech 8/1
Boston College 12/1
Maryland 15/1
Virginia 20/1