Featured in this article:
  • Will Coach K leave Duke with 2022 ACC Win?
  • Duke is a -145 favorite to win ACC
  • No. 2 seed Notre Dame is +1000 third favorite to win

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North Carolina guard R.J. Davis (4) shoots against Duke during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

Can Duke send Coach K out as the ACC Tournament champion?

The final home game for Hall of Fame Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski definitely didn’t go according to plan as in front of a star-studded crowd paying Super Bowl-level prices at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday, the Blue Devils were upset by bitter-rival North Carolina 94-81.

In one regard, that loss didn’t matter for Duke as it already had wrapped up the ACC regular-season title and top seed in the conference tournament. The Blue Devils still have a shot to get a top seed in the NCAA Tournament if they can take the ACC tourney in Brooklyn. Duke is a -145 favorite to win it for the first time since 2019.

Coach K Vs. Boeheim One Last Time?

Both ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm have Duke as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and it might need some help on top of the conference tournament crown to get a No. 1, although in all honestly there’s not that much of a difference between a No. 2 and No. 1 in the Big Dance.

Coach K’s club will face either No. 8 Florida State (+6000 to win tournament) or No. 9 Syracuse (+5000) in the quarterfinals. If it’s the Orange, that would be the last-ever meeting between the two winningest coaches in Division I history in Krzyzewski (1,196 victories) and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim (1,098).

Notre Dame is the No. 2 seed but a +1000 third favorite to win the tournament. The Irish and the No. 3 Tar Heels (+800) both finished with 15-5 league records, but Notre Dame won the tiebreaker. Both will be in the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens this week.

Interestingly, No. 5 seed Virginia Tech and No. 7 Wake Forest are both priced shorter at +1000 to win the ACC Tournament over No. 4 Miami (+1100). Perhaps because Miami is in Duke’s side of the bracket. Wake Forest’s Steve Forbes was named ACC Coach of the Year and also received a long-term extension on Monday. The Deacons are hoping to be NCAA Tournament-bound for the first time since 2017. They are on the bubble, though, and may need at least one ACC Tournament win for an at-large bid.

Georgia Tech was the surprise winner of the 2021 ACC Tournament but is a No. 14 seed this year and at +15000 long shot. The Jackets open first-round play Tuesday vs. No. 11 Louisville (+10000). The Cards are playing under interim head coach Mike Pegues, but he will not get the full-time job.

Six schools have never on the ACC Tournament: Clemson (+8000), Virginia Tech, Boston College (+25000), Pittsburgh (+20000), Syracuse and Louisville. It’s probably safe to say none of them will this time, either. That Syracuse never has is a bit of a surprise.

The ACC Tournament opens with three games Tuesday. The championship game is Saturday.

James Guill

James Guill is a former professional poker player who writes fro GambleOnline.co about poker, sports, casinos, gaming legislation and the online gambling industry in general. His past experience includes working with IveyPoker, PokerNews, PokerJunkie, Bwin, and the Ongame Network. From 2006-2009 he participated in multiple tournaments including the 37th and 38th World Series of Poker (WSOP). James lives in Virgina and he has a side business where he picks and sells vintage and antique items.

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