ACC betting preview for Day 4 at the NCAA Tournament

Day 4 at the NCAA Tournament features a pair of ACC programs who will be trying to reach the Sweet 16.

Duke and Clemson will both play their second-round NCAA Tournament games on Sunday. It’s been a good weekend so far for the ACC, as North Carolina and NC State have both already advanced to the second weekend of the tournament. The ACC could put as many as 4 teams into the Sweet 16.

Here’s a look at the ACC’s slate for Day 4:

4 Duke vs. 12 James Madison | 5:15 p.m. ET | CBS | Brooklyn, New York

Duke handled its business against Vermont in Round 1, while James Madison got here by pulling off a big upset over Wisconsin on Friday. The Dukes are loaded with upset potential — they’re top-65 in KenPom’s offensive and defensive efficiency rankings. They don’t have any obvious weaknesses in their statistical profile and could prove to be a tough out for the Blue Devils.

Spread: Duke -6.5 (via ESPN Bet)

Total: 147.5 points (via ESPN Bet)

6 Clemson vs. 3 Baylor | 6:10 p.m. ET | TNT | Memphis, Tennessee

Clemson was dominant against No. 11-seeded New Mexico earlier this week despite being a Vegas underdog in that matchup. The Tigers are also underdogs on Sunday against a strong Baylor team. Baylor blew out Colgate in its opening-round game earlier this week.

Spread: Baylor -4.5 (via ESPN Bet)

Total: 144.5 points (via ESPN Bet)

2 picks

Clemson +4.5 (via ESPN Bet)

Clemson has played well against strong teams all year — the Tigers are in the Big Dance because of wins over programs such as Alabama and North Carolina. Baylor, meanwhile, has struggled against another top-25 KenPom teams this season. The Bears went just 3-6 against such opponents this season. Baylor’s defense has also been a real problem over the past few weeks. Since Feb. 17, Baylor’s defense ranks 107th nationally per BartTorvik’s adjusted efficiency rankings.

James Madison +230 (via ESPN Bet)

I expect this game to be close — James Madison is a legit threat to Duke and the Blue Devils weren’t great down the stretch of the season. JMU is 2-0 this season against top-20 KenPom teams, including the win over Wisconsin just a couple of days ago. EvanMiya’s projection gives JMU a 31.1% chance to win this game outright, which leaves a little bit of value on the ESPN Bet’s money line price of +230 (implied odds of 30.3%).