North Carolina Leads Pack of ACC Title Contenders

There may be eight ACC teams with winning records in conference play, but only longtime rivals Duke and North Carolina are ranked in the Top 25 national polls. This paints an interesting picture when examining March Madness championship predictions.

Of ACC squads, North Carolina sports the best odds to cut down the nets as +1800 sixth favorites, while Duke follows closely behind at +2500. With about three weeks left in the regular season, here is a look at the NCAA Tournament hopes for ACC teams.

Front Runners

As usual, perennial contenders Duke and North Carolina sit atop the ACC standings as Vegas March Madness futures have them as conference favorites. The rivals are knotted with identical 13-4 league marks and split their regular season series. They seem destined to decide the regular season title and top ACC Tournament seed in the March 4th finale at Duke.

While holding strong at #10 in the all-important NCAA NET rankings, North Carolina has struggled in marquee games, evidenced by their 0-9 record against AP Top 25 squads. This makes a top seeding in March Madness unlikely. Duke has mieux metrics at #12 in NET rankings, but non-conference issues remain.

Beyond the Big Two, Clemson and Wake Forest are tops in ACC. The Demon Deacons are 30th in NET rankings, but a losing record versus Top 25 foes jeopardizes their March Madness seeding. Clemson has three straight upcoming home games to vault into the top ACC quadrant.

Bubble Teams

Despite a winning league record, Virginia lacks metrics to impress the NCAA selection committee with a middling 6-6 ledger in Quadrant 1 and 2 contests. They will need to finish regular season play strong for March Madness consideration.

At 7-8 in ACC action, Virginia Tech is in similar straits. Their pedestrian 3-6 record against top competition and 1-7 road record undermines credentials. The Hokies have two straight road games upcoming then close regular season against lowly Louisville, so some work left to bolster their case.

Pittsburgh was picked 7th in preseason polling but currently sits only one game back of 4th place. Five Top 25 wins help Panther resume, but 5-7 combined Quadrant 1 and 2 record does not. Their two Quadrant 3 losses also raise eyebrows of selection committee members.

Long Shots

Any team outside the top 80 of the NET rankings essentially needs to win the ACC Tournament to qualify for March Madness and its 68-team field. North Carolina State, Syracuse, Miami, Boston College and Florida State all fit this category but could gain tournament traction in conference tourney play.

For Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Louisville ranked in the 90s of the rankings, even a Cinderella ACC Tournament run seems unlikely to push them into the Big Dance.

North Carolina Betting Promos Abound

With the launch of legalized North Carolina sports betting in early 2023, Tarheel basketball fans now have added ways to get in on March Madness action. As the UNC squad chases another national title, plenty of North Carolina betting promos and odds boosts are offered for bettors. Local sportsbooks FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook give ACC backers no shortage of betting specials. Everything from enhanced game lines, free bets, parlay insurance, bracket bonuses and deposit matches are available this March Madness. It is shaping up to be an extra exciting month for North Carolina basketball and sports betting fans alike.

North Carolina Leads Pack of ACC Title Contenders to SEC Sports Fan Blog

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