ACC Tournament betting preview: Duke still the team to beat

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The ACC isn't as deep this year, but the conference still features four teams - Florida State, Duke, Virginia, and Louisville - that can make deep runs in the NCAA Tournament.

Florida State is the ACC's No. 1 seed and slightly favored to win this week's tourney, but the top four teams are all listed at +750 or shorter.

Odds to win the ACC Tournament

Best bet

Duke +250

Duke slipped to the fourth seed after going 3-3 to close out the regular season, but this is still the best team on paper. According to KenPom, Duke is one of only four squads that rank top 15 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. And while there's a perception that the Blue Devils are struggling these days, they won their final two games of the season and have topped 80 points in four of their last five.

There's a reason that some call the ACC Tournament the Coach K Invitational - Duke has won 12 of the 21 titles since 1999. The next highest total over that span belongs to North Carolina, which has claimed three. Look for Duke's dominance to continue this year.

Sleeper

NC State +3500

The ACC was uncharacteristically top-heavy this season, so there isn't much value outside of Virginia at +750. North Carolina at +2300 looks tempting on paper, but the No. 14-seeded Tar Heels would need to win five games. The odds are against that happening, even with Cole Anthony healthy and UNC playing better of late.

The mid-tier team with the best value is NC State. The Wolfpack own home wins over Duke and Wisconsin and defeated Virginia on the road, so they've proven they can beat the better teams in the country. Led by guards C.J. Bryce (13.2) and Markell Johnson, NC State features four players who average more than 12 points per game.

The Wolfpack have longer odds than both North Carolina and Clemson, but they have a better shot to make a deep run.

Team to avoid

Louisville +300

Louisville is certainly talented, but its inability to win on the road is a big concern. The Cardinals went 3-4 in their final seven games, with all four losses coming on the road. Overall, six of the Cardinals' seven defeats this season came away from home. That's certainly a red flag - both in the ACC and NCAA tourneys. The problem has been an offense that disappears on the road, where it's averaged just 60.2 points in the last four losses.

Louisville is +300 to win the ACC Tournament while red-hot Virginia is sitting at +750. Pass on the overvalued Cardinals.

Thomas Casale is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. He's been following the sports betting industry for almost 30 years. A devoted fan of the wishbone offense, Thomas bets on all sports but specializes in college football, NFL, and college basketball. Find him on Twitter @TheTomCasale.