Why Duke Blue Devils Look Unstoppable Entering the ACC Tournament

The biggest question entering the ACC tournament is which do you like better, Duke or the field? With UNC’s injury to Caleb Wilson, I don’t love any of the top contenders in the ACC, but I do believe there are a few other teams that have some decent value.

This season, the top teams in college hoops are far better than the rest of the country, so if you're insistent on betting on the favorites, you can parlay Duke and Michigan to win each of their conferences at +149. That’s the only way I’d bet on those teams, and I actually do love that bet.

But sticking in the ACC, the two main contenders with Duke are Virginia and Louisville. I just don’t think this Virginia team is that good. They’re 27-4, good for 10th in the country, but KenPom has them ranked 20th. They win a lot of close games, which is great in March, but I think they let too many bad teams hang around. Not only that, I don’t think they have enough guard play.

I don’t really love Louisville either, but at least they have elite guards. Transfer Ryan Conwell was a star last March for Xavier, and I think he can do that again. If Mikel Brown Jr. is still managing his back injury, I don’t think Conwell is enough to carry Louisville in ACC play.

An underrated team I do like a lot is Clemson. They will slow the game down and limit the total number of possessions. They play at the 335th-slowest pace in the country, and when the game is shortened, upsets become far more likely. However, that also leaves them susceptible to being upset. They also don’t have elite guard play, but under Brad Brownell, they’ve been able to thrive without great guards. Taking a shot at +3500 is an okay bet.

The biggest problem in the ACC is that Duke is just too good. They were the best team in the country last season, but came up short in March. I think they could come short of winning the whole thing again, but I also think this team’s floor is a trip to Indianapolis for the Final Four.

I’ve been able to talk myself out of the favorites in other conferences, but I just can’t do it for Duke. Parlay them to win the ACC at -360 with whatever your favorite bet is for the day, because I think Duke wins this tourney easily. Cam Boozer is the best player in the country, Isaiah Evans has provided the consistent guard play Duke has needed, and they’ve continued to have a new role player provide something each and every night. This Duke team is for real.