ACC Tournament 2021: Betting Tips for Round 1 Odds, Spreads and Over/Under
The Duke Blue Devils' tumultuous season has landed them in an unfamiliar position at the ACC men's basketball tournament.
Mike Krzyzewski's team will play in the opening round of the competition in Greensboro, North Carolina, after it ended the regular season with a blowout loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Duke is the highest seed scheduled to play on Tuesday and it will take on the worst team in the league, the Boston College Eagles.
On paper, it seems like a straightforward win for the Blue Devils, who are the largest betting favorite in the three Tuesday games, according to the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Despite the gap in the standings, the 12.5-point spread may not be the best bet of the day since Duke beat BC by a single point in their lone regular-season meeting.
The Pittsburgh Panthers should be the best bet on the spread on Tuesday since they have a short line in their favor against the Miami Hurricanes.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are an eight-point favorite against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and while that may seem like a lot to give in their favor, they are coming in off their best win of the season.
No. 12 Pittsburgh vs. No. 13 Miami
Spread: Pittsburgh (-3)
Over/Under: 135.5
Pittsburgh has two wins in its last eight games.
While that is not a trustworthy run, the Panthers are the play in the ACC tournament opener against a depleted Miami team.
Miami dealt with injuries and absences all season and finished with a 4-15 conference record. Its only victory in the last seven games came against Boston College.
Pittsburgh won the lone regular-season meeting between the two teams on December 16 by 15 points. Although the Panthers are on a losing run, they have played a handful of close games in the last month.
Jeff Capel's team had an average losing margin of 6.5 points in its last six defeats. That total is inflated a bit by the 15-point defeat it suffered against the Clemson Tigers on Saturday.
Conversely, Miami lost four of its last five games by double digits, and it scored 61 points or fewer in four of those contests.
Pitt is not the most reliable team in the ACC, but it is the better side in this matchup and should cover with ease.
Betting Tip: Pittsburgh -3
No. 10 Duke vs. No. 15 Boston College
Spread: Duke (-12.5)
Over/Under: 153
Duke should run away with a victory against Boston College, but there is always the chance it pulls its starters early to rest for the coming days in Greensboro.
The Blue Devils were blasted off the NCAA men's basketball tournament bubble on Saturday, and they need to win the ACC tournament to earn a berth in the field of 68.
The No. 10 seed could come out hungry with a point to prove in a blowout victory, or it could be sluggish after it was run off the floor by its biggest rival.
If you think 12.5 points is too much trust to put in Duke, the total has value, even at 153 points.
Each of the last three Duke games produced 153 points or more. The Blue Devils and Eagles combined for 165 points on January 6.
Since returning from their pause on February 6, Boston College allowed five of its six opponents to score at least 75 points.
Boston College's poor defense could allow Matthew Hurt and DJ Steward to go off from the field and lead Duke to a high point total.
Betting Tip: Over 153
No. 11 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Wake Forest
Spread: Notre Dame (-8)
Over/Under: 143
Notre Dame received a jolt of life to its season by upsetting the Florida State Seminoles at home on Saturday.
The victory ended a four-game skid for Mike Brey's team, which looked much better in January and early February when it earned the majority of its seven ACC wins.
Wake Forest has not looked good during any stretch of play, as it finished 3-15 in league action with three victories coming against teams that are all playing on Tuesday.
During their seven-game losing streak, the Demon Deacons lost by an average of 16.5 points. The only close defeat came against Florida State in the Seminoles' first game after their pause.
Additionally, Wake Forest conceded 75 points or more in five of those games, which suggests the over could be in play.
In Notre Dame's seven ACC wins, it averages 80.4 points per game and it scored 79 points in its February 2 win over Wake Forest.
However, in that game, the Demon Deacons only scored 58 points, so it may just be safer to take the Irish on the spread instead of hoping for a strong shooting night out of Wake.
Betting Tip: Notre Dame -8
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
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