ACC Tournament 2016: Bracket Seeds, Odds, Matchups and Predictions

When it comes to the ACC tournament, never count out the North Carolina schools.

Since 1991, a school from the state of North Carolina has made it to the conference championship game. That would normally play a factor heading into this year's tournament, seeing how it's been held in Greensboro, North Carolina, for years.

It won't be the case this year, with the ACC tournament being held in Washington D.C., but the chances are still high that either the Duke Blue Devils or North Carolina Tar Heels will find their way to the title game, and the odds are certainly on their side.

Here's a breakdown of all you need to know for what could be the top tournament of the week.

ACC Tournament Matchups and Seeds

First-Round Matchups - March 8

No. 13 Wake Forest vs. No. 12 North Carolina State (noon ET, ESPN2)

No. 14 Boston College vs. No. 11 Florida State (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Second-Round Matchups - March 9

No. 9 Syracuse vs. No. 8 Pittsburgh (noon ET, ESPN)

WF/N.C. State winner vs. No. 5 Duke (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

No. 10 Georgia Tech vs. No. 7 Clemson (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

BC/FSU winner vs. No. 6 Virginia Tech (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Top Four Seeds - Won't Play Until March 10

No. 1 North Carolina

No. 2 Virginia

No. 3 Miami

No. 4 Notre Dame

Team	Odds
North Carolina	+185
Virginia	+300
Duke	+375
Miami	+450
Notre Dame	+1200
Pittsburgh	+1600
Syracuse	+1600
Clemson	+2500
Florida State	+3300
Field	+3300

Predictions

Sleeper Team - Clemson

Conference tournaments are usually determined by the teams with momentum. If that were the case, the Clemson Tigers would not be considered the sleeper team in the tournament, especially with their recent track record, per Aaron Brenner of the Post and Courier:

However, although Clemson has lost three of four coming into the tournament, it's not like those losses have been by a lot of points. Six of the Tigers' last seven losses have come by single digits, with two of those losses coming from Virginia by a combined 14 points.

If Clemson gets past Georgia Tech, they will meet the Cavaliers in the quarterfinals. And one more win for the Tigers over Virginia could mean a matchup with the Miami Hurricanes, who Clemson already beat this year on Jan. 16.

Jaron Blossomgame has been Clemson's best player all year. The Tigers need to find a way to get him some help, and if they can, the Tigers could be the shocker of this tournament if the dominoes fall their way.

Tournament MVP - Brice Johnson

The North Carolina big man could very well be the country's Player of the Year, and he's especially looked like it since conference play began.

His year will be highlighted for that 39-point, 23-rebound performance on Jan. 4 against Florida State. Since that game, Johnson has totaled 10 double-doubles in the last 15 games and scored 20 points or more three times.

Bobby Marks of The Vertical thinks Johnson's play is going to equal a steady rise in draft boards:

Johnson even grabbed 21 rebounds in the season finale against Duke. He's going to be the difference-maker for UNC if it comes down to a battle of rebounds, and he can also provide a block or two with the game on the line.

ACC Champion - Virginia

While Johnson may put up the eye-popping stats, there's no question Virginia is the most complete team in this tournament, as well as the most experienced.

Led by ACC Player of the Year and league Defensive Player of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, the Cavaliers are more than just a defensive-first team. Ranked as the third best scoring defense in the country, the Cavaliers have relied on turning defense into offense all year.

But it goes beyond the defensive play. Brogdon leads Virginia with 18.4 points per game. Fellow senior Anthony Gill is able to provide almost 14 points per game. Even Virginia big man Mike Tobey, who had a career-high 20 rebounds on Saturday, can't be ignored on the glass.

Not only is Virginia experienced, but the Cavaliers are deep at almost every position. Brogdon and Gill could be the combination that leads UVA to its second title in three years, as the Cavaliers beat Johnson and the Tar Heels in the finals.