2026 ACC Conference Basketball Tournament Odds & Predictions
The ACC Conference Tournament doesn’t have the same appeal it used to, as this conference has been declining for years. However, Duke is arguably the best team in college basketball this season, so this year’s event will at least feature all the other teams attempting to knock the Blue Devils off. Duke beat Louisville 73-62 in last year’s final, marking the second time in three years that the Blue Devils finished on top. Well, Duke is significantly favored to make it three titles in four years, so let’s get into it with an ACC tournament preview.
How to Watch the ACC Conference Tournament
When: March 10-14
Where: Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina
Format: Teams seeded by records within conference; top-eight teams receive byes to third round, top-four teams receive byes into the quarterfinals
Watch: ACC Network & ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN U, ESPN+; Championship Game on ESPN on Mar. 14 at 8:30 p.m. ET
College Basketball Odds | College Basketball Betting Splits | Greg Peterson’s Daily Lines | Steve Makinen’s Power Ratings
ACC Conference Bracket
Coming soon.
ACC Conference Tournament Seeds, Teams and Odds
- Duke Blue Devils (-350)
- Virginia Cavaliers (+650)
- Miami Hurricanes (20-1)
- North Carolina Tar Heels (22-1)
- Clemson Tigers (40-1)
- Louisville Cardinals (+950)
- NC State Wolfpack (50-1)
- Florida State Seminoles (130-1)
- California Golden Bears (250-1)
- Stanford Cardinal (300-1)
- SMU Mustangs (150-1)
- Virginia Tech Hokies (200-1)
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons (800-1)
- Syracuse Orange (800-1)
- Pittsburgh Panthers (800-1)
(odds from DraftKings Sportsbook accurate at time of publish)
Favorite To Win ACC Conference Tournament
This is the only high-major conference with a massive favorite leading the pack, as Duke is expected to run through the competition in Charlotte. The Blue Devils are 29-2 with top-five KenPom marks in Adjusted Offensive Rating (128.4) and Adjusted Defensive Rating (87.8). This Duke team sits atop the efficiency rankings at both KenPom and Bart Torvik, and we already saw Jon Scheyer’s group earn a big-boy win over Michigan on a neutral floor. There just isn’t much that Duke doesn’t do at a high level. The Blue Devils are an elite team when it comes to 2PT% (61.0%) and 2PT% defense (46.2%). They also shoot a solid percentage from deep (35.3%), while holding opponents to 30.1% 3-point shooting on the other end of the floor. On top of that, Duke is a ferocious team on the glass, the team doesn’t foul on defense, and the team also happens to have the best player in college basketball: Cameron Boozer. The freshman is averaging 22.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, and he’s doing so on outrageous efficiency. With the Blue Devils’ combination of elite defense and an unstoppable go-to halfcourt player, they’re the team to beat the rest of the year.
ACC Conference Tournament Darkhorse
I really don’t think there’s a darkhorse that can actually go on to win this tournament, but I do like NC State to do some good things this week. The Wolfpack aren’t in the Blue Devils half of the bracket, which is a nice start. That at least means that Will Wade’s team has a reasonable path to the finals, and I supposed anything can happen from there — though NC State did lose by 29 at home against Duke on March 2. Why the Wolfpack? While the wins haven’t consistently been there, this is a top-20 team when it comes to Torvik’s Adjusted Offensive Efficiency (125.0) since the start of 2026. NC State has a few guys that can really shoot the 3-ball, a proven March performer in Texas Tech transfer Darrion Williams, and a pretty deep group of contributors at the guard position. Sure, things haven’t quite come together for the Wolfpack this year, but things change quickly in the postseason. You shouldn’t be surprised if this team can put together a couple of wins in a row.
Betting Pick to Win the ACC Conference Tournament
While it’s boring to suggest backing a -350 favorite, it’s hard to imagine anyone else winning. UNC would have been interesting before losing Caleb Wilson for the season, but that’s the reality for the Tar Heels now. They’re at a talent deficit moving forward. It’s also hard to even trust Louisville with an injury to Mikel Brown Jr. derailing the end of the talented freshman’s regular season. I wasn’t particularly high on that team, but a healthy Brown gives you a puncher’s chance against anyone. Well, I’m not sure he’s healthy. That said, I’d just stick with the Blue Devils in the ACC. I don’t think Duke is unbeatable, but I’m not sure the teams in this conference have what it takes. This could be a good parlay leg for some long-term futures across several leagues.
Makinen Power Ratings for ACC Conference
Coming soon.
Steve Makinen’s Betting Trends for the ACC Conference Tournament
- Big favorites of 5.5 points or more have been nearly automatic in the ACC tournament of late, 61-8 SU and 40-28-1 ATS (58.8%) since 2015.
- ACC teams off a bye and playing as favorites of 4 points or more against teams that have already played in the tournament are 43-4 SU and 28-18-1 ATS (60.9%) since 2015.
- ACC opening round favorites have gone 23-4 SU and 16-11 ATS (59.3%) since 2016.
- ACC second round favorites are on a 25-11 SU and 22-14 ATS (61.1%) surge over the last nine tournaments, including 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS last year.
- ACC semifinal underdogs are 14-21 SU but 25-7-3 ATS (78.1%) since 2007, and 12-2-1 ATS since 2017. Both won ATS again a year ago.
- Lower-totaled ACC tournament contests, or those 140 or less, have shown a penchant for going Over, 35-20 (63.6%) since 2016.
More Steve Makinen Conference Tournament Betting Trends.
Check out the other previews in our 2026 College Basketball Conference Tournament Betting Guide.
