ACC Tournament 2021: Bracket Seeds, Odds, Matchups and Predictions
From 2012-19, there were six different schools to win the ACC tournament. So there hasn't been one dominant program in the conference in recent years. And there's no overwhelming favorite heading into the 2020 tourney.
After last year's ACC tournament wasn't completed due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year's tourney is set to get underway Tuesday at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C. Virginia, which won the tournament in both 2014 and 2018, is the No. 1 seed, while Florida State, which last won the tourney in 2012, is the No. 2 seed.
Virginia Tech (No. 3 seed) and Georgia Tech (No. 4) are the other two schools that received double byes and won't join in on the action until the quarterfinals on Thursday. Duke, which was the most recent ACC tourney champion in 2019, is the No. 10 seed, the lowest it's ever been for the tournament.
Here's everything else you need to know for the ACC tourney, including the bracket, schedule, championship odds and predictions.
ACC Tournament Bracket, Schedule
Tuesday, March 9
Game 1: No. 12 Pittsburgh vs. No. 13 Miami, 2 p.m. ET, ACC Network
Game 2: No. 10 Duke vs. No. 15 Boston College, 4:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network
Game 3: No. 11 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Wake Forest, 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network
Wednesday, March 10
Game 4: No. 8 Syracuse vs. No. 9 N.C. State, noon ET, ACC Network
Game 5: No. 5 Clemson vs. Winner of Game 1, 2:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network
Game 6: No. 7 Louisville vs. Winner of Game 2, 6:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network
Game 7: No. 6 North Carolina vs. Winner of Game 3, 9 p.m. ET, ACC Network
Thursday, March 11
Game 8: No. 1 Virginia vs. Winner of Game 4, noon ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Game 9: No. 4 Georgia Tech vs. Winner of Game 5, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Game 10: No. 2 Florida State vs. Winner of Game 6, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Game 11: No. 3 Virginia Tech vs. Winner of Game 7, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Friday, March 12
Game 12: Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 9, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Game 13: Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 11, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Saturday, March 13
Game 14: Winner of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 13, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Odds to Win ACC Tournament Championship
Virginia: +225 (bet $100 to win $225)
Florida State: +260
North Carolina: +425
Virginia Tech: +600
Louisville: +700
Clemson: +2000
Duke: +2000
Georgia Tech: +2500
Pittsburgh: +5000
Syracuse: +5000
Notre Dame: +10000
N.C. State: +15000
Boston College: +20000
Miami: +20000
Wake Forest: +20000
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Tournament Predictions
Virginia and Florida State are the top two seeds, and there's a strong chance they'll both reach the championship game of the ACC tournament. While North Carolina has been playing better of late and could make a run, the Tar Heels are likely going to have trouble getting past the Seminoles in a potential semifinal matchup.
So while there could be some close games along the way, it'll be Virginia and Florida State battling it out for the ACC tournament title on Saturday night.
The Cavaliers (17-6) had a bit of a rough stretch in late February, losing three straight games, but they've bounced back with wins over Miami and Louisville to close out the regular season. As usual, Virginia is a strong defensive team, and it led the ACC with 59.8 points allowed per game.
The Seminoles (15-5) have yet to lose consecutive games, but they did lose two of their past three, falling to North Carolina and Notre Dame. But they're a strong offensive team, having led the ACC in points per game (79.6) and three-point percentage (38.5), so they could get back on track by getting hot in the conference tournament.
Florida State would have won the ACC regular-season title for the second straight year if it had beaten Notre Dame. However, it lost and Virginia beat Louisville, giving the Cavaliers their third regular-season conference championship in four seasons.
When Virginia and Florida State faced off in the lone regular-season meeting between the two teams on Feb. 15, the Seminoles built a big lead early and cruised to an 81-60 win. They shot 50 percent from the field and went 13-for-24 (54.2 percent) from behind the arc.
If Florida State shoots like that during the ACC tourney, it'll be difficult to beat. The Cavaliers couldn't stop the Seminoles last time, and that could happen again in a potential championship game matchup.
As for earlier in the tournament, don't expect any huge upsets. It's possible that No. 6-seeded North Carolina will take down No. 3-seeded Virginia Tech to earn a spot in the semis, while No. 4-seeded Georgia Tech could have some trouble against No. 5-seeded Clemson in the quarterfinals.
But if North Carolina and Clemson make it to the semis, neither is likely to get past Florida State and Virginia, respectively. The Seminoles and Cavaliers have been strong, and while they should already have spots secured for the NCAA tournament, they could benefit from building some momentum heading into March Madness.
The Seminoles were the regular-season champions in 2020 and were the No. 1 seed, but the tourney was canceled before reaching the end.
This year, Florida State will be motivated to notch its second ACC tourney title, and that's what it will do.
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