Championship Week: Alabama, Duke, and UCLA favored to win SEC, ACC and Pac-12 Tournament Titles

Championship week is when March Madness really flips into hyperdrive. Every major conference from the Big East to the Pac-12 will be deciding a champion this week. Automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament will be on the line, but many of these teams are simply jockeying for better seeding come Selection Sunday. The ACC will get its conference tournament started on Tuesday with both the Pac-12 and SEC kicking things off on Wednesday. Here are the latest odds for all three tournaments before they tip off this week. 

ACC Conference Tournament Odds

The ACC was once known as a true blood conference. But in recent years the quality of play has slipped, evidenced by the ACC's sixth place ranking among college basketball conferences this season. Since 2017, a top-two seed in the ACC tournament has won their postseason tournament just once. Duke enters as the four-seed, but the betting favorite according to sportsbooks. The Blue Devils enter on a six-game winning streak, but have just two wins over teams currently ranked inside the AP Top 25 (Xavier, Miami FL). Virginia brings it usual combination of slow pace and stout defense to the ACC tournament, but its shooting will likely be its undoing (140th in Shooting Efficiency). The Cavaliers 2-2 finish to the regular season cost them an outright regular season title. The Wahoos split the regular season crown with Miami (FL), a team that was a FSU buzzer beater away from a nine-game winning streak to end the season. The Canes backcourt and big-hit in the transfer portal (Norchad Omier) make them an attractive play to win at +340. NC State has a talented team led by Terquavion Smith. If he catches fire they could make a deep run and provide ample hedge opportunities at +1200. If you're interested in a long shot, Virginia Tech has a compelling case to be this year's Cinderella in the ACC tourney. Their path would take them through NC State and Clemson, two teams they played neck and neck during the regular season. With four scorers in their starting lineup that average north of 10 points per game, the Hokies have the potential to win five games in five days.

Pac-12 Conference Tournament Odds

This tournament runs through UCLA. The Bruins are ranked second nationally behind Houston and have won ten straight games. They're strong defensively, crash the offensive glass and are masters of the mid-range game. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is rounding into All-American form at the right time as well. Mick Cronin has been vocal about wanting to nab a number one seed, and a Pac-12 title would sew that up for his Bruins. Arizona is considerably flashier on the other side of the bracket. The Wildcats rank sixth in KenPom's offensive metric while averaging 83.1 points per game (3rd). But they closed their regular season on a 3-3 run, with head scratching losses to Stanford and Arizona State. Oregon always has a chance in a tournament setting given the variety of defenses they deploy, but they'll need a star turn from N'Fale Dante. The senior big has four double-doubles in his last five games. If you want to roll the dice on a long shot, Stanford presents a lot of value at 80:1. The Cardinal knocked off Arizona at home this season and can catch fire from three-point range. They also benefit by being on the other side of the bracket from UCLA. Washington, Oregon State and Cal round out the teams, but don't expect any of them to make much noise in Las Vegas. 

SEC Conference Tournament Odds

Alabama was priced in the -250 range to win the SEC tournament just a month ago. Off-the-court issues stemming from Brandon Miller's alleged involvement in a fatal shooting has brought a cloud over the program. As a result, the Crimson Tide have played in a handful of close games with lesser opponents and they were unable to complete a second-half comeback against Texas A&M in the regular season finale. Recent events have shifted the Tide to +170 favorites to win in Nashville. Tennessee, playing in its home state, is the second favorite at +280 but they have a more than a few issues on the offensive end. The Vols check in at 233rd in shooting efficiency and struggle mightily from the line. While their defense is elite, it's hard to picture them reeling off four wins in four days. Texas A&M played their way into the two-seed, but they could draw Arkansas and then Kentucky, two teams that beat them this season. Speaking of Arkansas, with a healthy Nick Smith Jr. the Hogs have the potential to make a deep run. Smith Jr., a future lottery pick, has scored 24+ in three of his last four games. One last long shot to consider is the hometown Vanderbilt Commodores. The 'Dores are strong on the offensive glass and don't beat themselves with turnovers. They finished the regular season on an 8-1 run, complete with impressive wins over Tennessee, Kentucky and Auburn. The loss of Liam Robbins can't be overstated, but even so, Vandy should be a tough out at +3500.