With one major exception, the results of Thursday’s ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament quarterfinal games played out as expected, leaving three of the conference’s top four seeds alive entering Friday’s semifinals. North Carolina cruised past Florida State, Pittsburgh held off a late rally by Wake Forest, and Virginia survived Boston College in overtime.
But Duke, which entered the tournament as 1B to UNC’s 1A as far as favorites to cut down the nets, lost to an NC State squad playing its third game in as many days.
North Carolina sports betting couldn’t have launched at a better time for hoops fans on Tobacco Road, so let’s break down the betting info fans need to know with three games left in the tournament: the two semifinals on Friday, followed by the championship game in primetime on Saturday night.
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Below are the semifinal games scheduled for Friday evening at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC:
- 1-seed North Carolina vs 4-seed Pittsburgh (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
- 3-seed Virginia vs 10-seed NC State (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
No. 4 North Carolina vs Pittsburgh
- Best North Carolina ACC Tournament Futures Odds:
- Best Pittsburgh ACC Tournament Futures Odds:
- Regular Season Matchup: North Carolina won 70-57 on Jan. 2
The Tar Heels still have a long way to go, but right now, they look capable of running away with this tournament, especially with Duke out of the picture. Oddsmakers agree. At the moment, bettors have to wager at least $165 to win $100 if the Heels cut down the nets. Carolina was plenty dangerous all regular season despite Cormac Ryan’s struggles from outside (at least relative to expectation). However, he was lights-out against Duke in Cameron in the regular season finale, and he had 14 points on 3-for-4 shooting from 3 in the quarterfinal romp over FSU. With a locked-in Ryan giving a team full of weapons another shooting threat, UNC has leveled up over its last 80 minutes.
Pitt is a tough team that exceeded expectations this season, and first-team All-ACC guard Blake Hinson will be sure the Panthers fare better than Florida State did on Thursday, but UNC looks like too much for any team in this conference right now.
Prediction: UNC to advance
Best Bets: UNC (-7.5 at time of publishing), Over (147.5 at time of publishing)
Virginia vs NC State
- Best Virginia ACC Tournament Futures Odds:
- Best NC State ACC Tournament Futures Odds:
- Regular Season Matchups: 1-1 (NC State won 76-60 on Jan. 6, Virginia won 59-53 on Jan. 24)
NC State, which entered this tournament facing questions about coach Kevin Keatts’ job security, has already accomplished the rare feat of starting play on Tuesday and reaching the semifinals. The Pack’s quarterfinal win over No. 11 Duke was one to remember, as a missed dunk with 30 seconds to play threatened to cost NC State a massive upset over the Blue Devils. But NC State finished the job and is now two wins away from an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
The Wolfpack played one of its best games of the season against Virginia in Raleigh in early January, and took UVA coach Tony Bennett’s team to overtime in Charlottesville, giving State fans reason to like their chances on Friday night. UVA’s defense has not lost a step this year, making this group a tough out despite a dropoff in talent from previous years. The Cavaliers needed overtime to beat Boston College in the quarterfinals, and although Virginia has looked vulnerable the last few weeks, NCSU will have to be on point to pull another upset. Don’t be surprised if this one isn’t decided until the final seconds.
The Pack is playing with house money, and it’s hard to shake the feeling we’re headed toward a North Carolina vs NC State showdown in Saturday’s ACC Championship Game.
Prediction: NC State to advance
Best Bet: NC State moneyline (+130 at time of publishing), Over (121.5 at time of publishing)
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