Odds to Win ACC Tournament: Florida State Favored Over Virginia
Updated: Wed, Mar 10 2021, 10:31am
It’s the best time of the year in the 2020-21 NCAA college basketball season. The ACC Conference tournament gets started on Tuesday, March 8, in Greensboro, North Carolina, and while the field may not have as many dominant teams as in years past, it’s the Florida State Seminoles who are the favorites in ACC conference tournament odds.
The Seminoles are ranked 11th in the Associated Press Top 25 NCAA poll and have an 11-4 SU record in 15 ACC games. They currently have +225 odds to win the ACC basketball tournament and try to get a No. 1 seed going into the NCAA March Madness tourney.
The team behind them on the oddsboard is the Virginia Cavaliers, who sit at 13-4 SU in conference play and are listed at +245. The Cavaliers currently trail Florida State in the odds, despite having the No. 1 seed in the tournament, because the Seminoles have beaten Virginia already this season and the tourney is being played on a neutral court.
Trailing those teams in ACC basketball tournament odds are the North Carolina Tar Heels at +450. In order to win the tourney, UNC would need to beat Virginia Tech (+700) in the quarterfinals as the Hokies got a bye through the first two rounds. Tied with Virginia Tech in ACC conference tournament odds are the Louisville Cardinals at +700 to round out the top five teams on the oddsboard.
The Duke Blue Devils are having a season from hell and have dropped all the way to +1600 in odds to win the conference tourney after opening at +210.
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Who Will Win The NCAA Basketball ACC Conference Tournament?
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Florida State Seminoles | +225 |
| Virginia Cavaliers | +245 |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | +450 |
| Louisville Cardinals | +700 |
| Virginia Tech Hokies | +700 |
| Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | +1000 |
| Duke Blue Devils | +1600 |
| Clemson Tigers | +2000 |
| Syracuse Orange | +5000 |
| Pittsburgh Panthers | +6600 |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | +7500 |
| NC State Wolfpack | +8000 |
| Miami Hurricanes | +20000 |
| Wake Forest Demon Deacons | +25000 |
| Boston College Eagles | +25000 |
Odds as of March 8 at Bovada
Why is Florida State Favored to Win the ACC Conference Basketball Tournament?
Arguably one of the most consistent programs in the ACC, Florida State has earned the respect of bettors and oddsmakers to be the favorite to win the ACC tourney. The Seminoles are one of those teams that never really has a dominant superstar like the Duke Blue Devils or North Carolina Tar Heels recruit, but they have some of the best athletes to play in head coach Leonard Hamilton’s system.
Florida State currently leads all ACC teams in points per game (79.2) while ranking eighth in scoring defense (69.7). The Seminoles also have the second-best average scoring differential in the conference behind Virginia at +9.5.
However, it’s the Cavaliers who should give Seminoles bettors pause because when Virginia’s defense is cooking, FSU’s offense – and really, any offense – will come to a screeching halt. That being said, Virginia and its defense got trounced by Florida State on February 15, losing 81-60.
The reason I think Virginia may be the better play than FSU, other than their easier path to the conference championship, is the defense and the scoring prowess of Sam Hauser. The transfer from Marquette has been the leading scorer and rebounder for Virginia all season and his three-point shooting (42.4 percent) is very reminiscent of when Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy were bombing from behind the arc during the Cavs’ title run in 2019.
At the end of the day, there are only two teams that bettors should consider to win this tournament and that’s Florida State and Virginia. I lean to the better value on Virginia at +245 as they may not even need to face Florida State in the ACC basketball tourney if the Seminoles get bounced in the quarterfinals against an opponent like Duke or Louisville.
