Why there’s nothing stopping the Duke Blue Devils from making the ACC Tournament.

The biggest question going into the ACC tournament is which do you like better, Duke or Field? With UNC dealing with an injury to Caleb Wilson, I’m not a fan of the ACC’s top contenders, but I believe there are a few other teams with decent value.

The top teams in college basketball are much better than the rest of the country this season. So, if you want to keep betting on the favorites, you can parlay Duke and Michigan to win their respective conferences at +149. That’s the only way I can bet on that team, and I actually really like that bet.

However, Duke’s two main competitors for sticking with the ACC are Virginia and Louisville. I don’t think this Virginia team is that good. They are 27-4 and ranked 10th in the nation, but KenPom ranks them 20th. They’ve won a lot of close games, which is a good thing for March, but they seem to have left too many bad teams out. Additionally, I don’t think they have enough guard play.

I’m not a huge fan of Louisville either, but at least they have elite guards. Transfer Ryan Conwell was a star for Xavier last March, and I think he can do so again. With Mikel Brown Jr. still dealing with a back injury, I don’t think Conwell will be good enough to carry Louisville in ACC play.

An underrated team that I really like is Clemson. They slow the game down and limit total possessions. They play at the 335th slowest pace in the country, and with less playing time, the odds of a comeback are much greater. However, this makes them prone to anger. They also don’t have elite guard play, but under Brad Brownell they have been able to thrive without great guards. Shooting at +3500 is fine.

The ACC’s biggest problem is that Duke is too good. They were the best team in the country last season but fell short in March. I think they might not win it all again, but I think the bottom line for this team is a trip to Indianapolis for the Final Four.

I could talk about my favorite guys in other conferences, but I can’t do that for Duke. Parlay to beat the ACC at -360 with your favorite bet of the day. Because I think Duke will easily win this tournament. Cam Boozer is the best player in the country, Isaiah Evans has provided the consistent guard play Duke needs, and they’ve ensured that new role players continue to provide something every night. This Duke team is the real deal.