The 2017 ACC Tournament tips off today with the lower seeds doing battle in the first round. Wake Forest, Clemson, and Georgia Tech are still bubble teams who need a strong tournament run to secure a ticket to the Big Dance. Will they be able to move on to Round 2? Check out our picks and predictions for the day’s three games below.
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2017 ACC Tournament Day One Picks
No. 13 NC State vs. No. 12 Clemson (12:00 PM ET)
Line: NC State Wolfpack (+6) vs. Clemson Tigers (-6) – view all NCAA basketball lines
After a skid of six losses in seven, the Tigers ended conference play strong with back-to-back wins over their first-round opponents, NC State (78-74), and bottom-placed Boston College (82-68) to finish 6-12 in conference play. Jarron Blossomgame had 16 points and 8 rebounds in that first meeting against NC State to lead five Tigers in double-figures.
As for the Wolfpack, that loss to Clemson in their season finale capped off a disastrous season which saw them drop nine of their last 10 conference games. They finished tied with Pitt at 4-14, the second-worst record in the ACC. With head coach Mark Gottfried already gone and newly-named ACC Freshman of the Year Dennis Smith Jr. soon to follow, it’s hard to imagine the Wolfpack getting up for this contest and pulling off the first-round win.
Writer’s Prediction: Clemson (-6) wins and covers, 76-68.
No. 15 Boston College vs. No. 10 Wake Forest (2:00 PM ET)
Line: Boston College Eagles (+13) vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (-13) – view all NCAA basketball lines
Wake Forest has had a terrific season in their third year under Danny Manning. The Demon Deacons are 18-12 record (9-9 in conference), and are going to finish with their most wins since 2010. They finished the regular season very strongly with three straight wins, including a huge upset win over No. 8 Louisville.
They likely still need a deep tournament run to secure an NCAA Tournament berth, and with All-ACC First Team selection John Collins (19 PPG, 10 RPG) leading the way, they should have more than enough to beat first round opponent Boston College.
Wake swept the season series over BC this season. Collins averaged 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds over those two games, including a monstrous 26-point, 16-board performance to lead the Deacs to an 85-80 road win. That loss was just one of the Eagles’ 14 straight losses to end their disastrous season.
Writer’s Prediction: Wake Forest wins, but Boston College (+13) manages to cover in an 81-71 defeat.
No. 14 Pittsburgh vs. No. 11 Georgia Tech (7:00 PM ET)
Line: Pittsburgh Panthers (-2.5) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+2.5); total: 133.0 – view all NCAA basketball lines
Despite a very good 1-2 punch in seniors Michael Young (20 PPG) and Jamel Artis (18 PPG), Pitt limped to a disappointing 4-14 conference record, tied for the second-worst in the ACC this year. The Panthers lost their last four games in a row, including their road meeting against Georgia Tech, 61-52. Artis was limited to just 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting in that game. The senior is having his worst stretch of the season, as he’s averaging just 11 points over his last four games.
The Yellow Jackets didn’t finish much better as they went just 2-4 in their last six, but they will definitely be confident in their chances of beating Pitt again. They’ve won two in a row against the Panthers, and are 4-0-1 against the spread in five meetings all-time.
Writer’s Prediction: Georgia Tech (+2.5) tops Pitt, 65-58.
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