2012 College Basketball Predictions: ACC Conference Odds, Predictions, Favorites and Sleepers

2012 College Basketball Picks: ACC Championship Odds, Predictions, Favorites and Sleepers: The ACC has had its turn as the top conference in college basketball in recent years, but the conference is looking a little thin heading into the 2012-13 season. Traditional powers Duke and North Carolina figure to be in the mix as they usually are, and the surprising rise of North Carolina State has made the Wolfpack playerw, as well. After that, the pecking order is muddled, and there may or may not be a lot of NCAA Tournament bids available for the conference. Before the college basketball season tips off, here is a look at how the top dogs stack up and which teams could be poised to surprise in the ACC.

ACC Conference Odds, Predictions, Favorites and Sleepers

The Favorite

After many critics questioned whether or not the North Carolina State Wolfpack should even make the NCAA Tournament, a run to the Sweet 16 followed by a great recruiting class suddenly has this team looking like the ACC frontrunner. Four starters are back from last year’s team, including leading scorer C.J. Leslie and elite point guard Lorenzo Brown. Meanwhile, the aforementioned recruiting class features three McDonald’s All-Americans led by Rodney Purvis, who is widely the considered the most college-ready freshman in the conference. All that extra firepower could deliver an ACC title to an already-loaded N.C. State team in 2012-13.

The Dark Horses

Dynamic scorer Austin Rivers is gone, but the Duke Blue Devils welcome back four other starters from a team loaded with perimeter firepower. Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly figure to shoulder a lot of the scoring load, and big man Mason Plumlee is a double-double waiting happen and will do the dirty work inside. While the returning core is solid, the X-factors for Duke will likely be freshmen Alex Murphy and Rasheed Sulaimon. Both players are long and athletic, and they are the types of players that can get into the lane and create their own shots. For an offense that can sometimes fall in love with the 3-pointer, the progression of the two freshmen will be crucial for determining whether or not the Blue Devils can win the ACC.

To say that the North Carolina Tarheels will have some new faces in the starting lineup in 2012-13 would be a massive understatement. After leading the Tarheels to back-to-back ACC titles, Tyler Zeller, Harrison Barnes, Kendall Marshall and John Henson were all first-round picks in the NBA Draft. On the plus side, forward James Michael McAdoo becomes the new focal point on offense, and he flashed star potential in his limited minutes last year. Meanwhile, Dexter Strickland and Reggie Bullock should give the Tarheels plenty of perimeter firepower, and freshman Marcus Paige has the type of speed and court vision to run Roy Williams’ up-tempo offense. No, North Carolina probably won’t rank in the top five in rebounding, scoring and assists again in 2012-13 like it did last season, but if all the young players gel quickly, the Tarheels could sneak up and make a run at an ACC three-peat.

The Sleeper

While the gap between the top three teams in the conference and everyone else is sizeable, the Miami Hurricanes are the one team that has the potential to crash the party. Four starters are back from a team that did go into Cameron Indoor Stadium and upset Duke at one point. Three of the returning starters averaged double digits, including floor general Durand Scott. In the end, the play of forwards Kenny Kadji and Reggie Johnson will determine whether or not the Hurricanes exceed expectations. With his 6’11” frame, Kadji has the size and shooting touch to be a star, but he needs to become a consistent offensive threat. Meanwhile, Johnson needs to be the physical enforcer for the Miami defense while staying out of foul trouble. Depth will likely hurt the Hurricanes’ chances, but they definitely have the pieces to play spoiler during conference play.

Odds to win the ACC Conference
7201 Boston College +5000
7202 Clemson +2000
7203 Duke +250
7204 Florida State +650
7205 Georgia Tech +1200
7206 Maryland +1500
7207 Miami +800
7208 North Carolina +300
7209 North Carolina State +200
7210 Virginia +1000
7211 Virginia Tech +4000
7212 Wake Forest +1500

Stop by NSAwins.com daily throughout the NCAA Basketball season for daily Free College Basketball Predictions and Vegas College Basketball Odds plus daily updated Men’s 2013 National Championship Betting Odds.