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Duke look too strong for the field in the ACC Tournament

The Duke Blue Devils, if they are going to receive a number 1 seed in the NCAA National Championship tournament, probably have to win the ACC tournament although some have them as a number 1 even if they only make the final.  Regardless of those opinions, the Duke Blue Devils are the number 1 seed in the ACC tournament and they have negative odds to win the title in the outright winner's market:

Here are the odds to win the ACC tournament with Players Only:

1.  Duke  -140   
2.  Maryland  +350   
3.  Florida St  +800   
4.  Wake Forest  +1200   
5.  Virginia Tech  +1200   
6.  Clemson  +1200   
7.  Georgia Tech  +1200   
8.  Boston College  +10000   
9.  Virginia  +10000   
10. North Carolina  +10000   
11. North Carolina St  +10000   
12. Miami FL  +10000  

Only the Maryland Terrapins, besides Duke, have been given a realistic shot of winning this tournament.  Florida State and the others are there with a peripheral chance but the talent in the field really takes a dive after Georgia Tech as their is a huge discrepancy in odds between the +1200 teams and the +10000 longshots.

Here are the standings from the ACC regular season:

1.  Duke            13-3
2.  Maryland        13-3
3.  Virginia Tech   10-6
4.  Florida St.     10-6
5.  Clemson         9-7
6.  Wake Forest     9-7
7.  Georgia Tech    7-9
8.  Boston College  6-10
9.  N.C. State      5-11
10. North Carolina  5-11
11. Virginia        5-11
12. Miami (Fla.)    4-12

The good news for those who are looking to back the Blue Devils is that the odds are NOT currently priced too short to bet.  In fact, you can feel comfortable betting this Blue Devil team at odds of -200 or longer and you certainly have that with Players Only at -140.

The only bad thing that critics really say about this Duke team is that they are not strong in true road games and in hostile environments.  However the ACC tournament is played on a neutral court and this year Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina is the host.

Do not expect Duke to be in unfriendly territory in Greensboro as it is only a short drive from Durham, the home of city of the Duke Blue Devils.  While it is also only a short drive from Chapel Hill, home city of the North Carolina Tar Heels and the fans that love trashing Duke, nobody really expects North Carolina to hang around this tournament that long.

A big reason to pick Duke, besides the fact that they are the highest rated team in the field, is that Duke have won the ACC tournament in 8 of the last 11 years and they are the defending champion.  Sometimes historical trends do not matter so much, especially in college basketball where the player turnover is high, but in this case the past results should be considered because the Head Coach is such a big part of college playoff success and Mike Krzyzewski knows how to get the job done.

When Mike Krzyzewski has the talent that he has in front of him right now that usually means that the Blue Devils will be adding some more hardware to their trophy case.

Expect Duke to blow out their quarterfinal opponent and their semifinal opponent.  If they face the Maryland Terrapins in the final, then look for a single digit victory by Duke in that game.

Don't tilt the bankroll out of respect for Greivis Vasquez and his abilities to lead his Terrapin team but don't be afraid to pound Duke in this market as -140 looks like a great opportunity to top-up the betting account.

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