The ACC has already made its mark on the college football season with Georgia Tech’s opening day upset over Florida State. There should be plenty more of that upcoming this season in the ACC. Here are some of the best ways to attack the futures market on DraftKings Sportsbook.
ACC Football Betting Preview
For the ACC, I will run through the six teams with odds of 10/1 or better to win the conference and the futures I have bet on some of those teams. This conference has already been thrown off by Georgia Tech’s Week 0 upset of Florida State. Florida State was co-favorites with Clemson to win the conference before Week Zero. They have now dropped behind Clemson and Miami when it comes to the odds to win the conference.
I am also going to cover Notre Dame in this preview. They still don’t have a home, but they play multiple ACC teams this season, so this is a good place to slip them in.
Clemson (+280)
Clemson is a peculiar case in modern college football. Their traditional recruiting is still among the best in the country, but Dabo Swinney refuses to utilize the transfer portal. After winning two national titles in three years, you could argue that Clemson was the second-best program in America for a stretch. However, they have fallen off in the last couple of seasons, only making (and winning) one of the past three ACC Championship Games. They haven’t made the College Football Playoff since 2020, when Ohio State thumped them in the semifinals.
This season is massive for Clemson and Dabo Swinney. It is year two under offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and year two for Cade Klubnik as the full-time starting quarterback. It was a really disappointing first season for that partnership, which was supposed to reignite Clemson on the offensive side of the football. They still lack weapons for Klubnik, and he has yet to prove if he is at the level of past great Clemson quarterbacks. On the defensive side of the ball, Clemson should still be very good. Nate Wiggins and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. are heading to the NFL, and there are massive losses for this defense, but they are still loaded with talent.
I am taking a unique approach to betting on Clemson in the futures market. I would be shocked if they beat Georgia in Week 1. However, that does not impact their chances to win the ACC, as it is a non-conference game. So, I am waiting for them to lose to Georgia this weekend and then, barring a major injury or the team looking really horrific, I will be placing a bet on Clemson to make the College Football Playoff. I can’t see them losing more than one game in the ACC, which should get them to the ACC Championship Game with a chance to make the CFP, whether they win or lose that game.
Miami (+360)
I am a huge fan of this Miami team. Miami, of course, gets preseason hype almost every year, but I have never really bought into it before. However, I am confident they have unlocked the most important position on the field with transfer quarterback Cam Ward. Ward has been, under the radar, one of the best quarterbacks in the country the past two seasons at Washington State. Now, Ward will be thrust into the national spotlight, and I think he has the right attitude to carry a playoff team.
Miami also brought in RB Damien Martinez from Oregon State, another electric offensive weapon. They also have a really solid WR corps led by Xavier Restrepo. EDGE Tyler Baron from Lousiville and safety Mishael Powell from Washington were also two great additions from the transfer portal on the defensive side of the ball.
Honestly, the biggest question mark around this team is on the sideline. Mario Cristobal has a bad reputation for giving games away with his in-game decision-making. If he can get someone smart in his ear to help with those decisions, the sky is the limit for this Miami team. Schedule-wise, Miami avoids Clemson and NC State and gets their two toughest games at home, Virginia Tech and Florida State. Miami also has a pivotal non-conference game against Florida to start the season, so we should know right away how good this team could be.
Personally, I am buying this team. I am betting them to make the College Football Playoff rather than to win the ACC. A non-conference win against Florida would be really good for their resume. Also, they could go undefeated, or even suffer one loss in the regular season, then lose to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game and likely still make the playoffs, so that is the best route.
Best Bet: Miami to make the CFP (+220), Cam Ward to win the Heisman (15/1)
Florida State (+600)
If you believe in Florida State, now is the time to buy. I am not personally, but from a value perspective, this is a great chance to get FSU to win the ACC at 6/1. We don’t know how good Miami and Clemson are yet, so if you think FSU just slipped up and they are still the best team in this conference, the value is there.
I am not a believer in FSU for many reasons. I have never been a fan of DJ Uiagalelei, and I was proven correct when he struggled to throw the ball downfield against Georgia Tech’s defense. They also downgraded across the board at running back, wide receiver and many positions on defense from last year’s team. It was not overly surprising how they looked on Saturday. The only really surprising part to me was how they got bullied in the trenches. They were supposed to be reloaded with talent on the defensive line and just got pushed around.
I am not buying on Florida State, even at this price, and will be watching them carefully to see if they can improve after last week’s performance.
NC State (+600)
NC State is one of the most underrated programs in the country. Dave Doeren took over this team in 2013, and after an initial losing season, they have won at least seven games every year but one. They have won at least eight games each of the past four seasons, and they have done so by not losing bad games. NC State is better coached and better prepared than most teams, which means they don’t lose to bad teams. The Wolfpack also seems to manage an upset over a top team in the ACC every year.
NC State doesn’t recruit at the same level as Florida State, Clemson or Miami, but they seem to find the necessary pieces. There is no better example than recruiting QB Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina this offseason. McCall is one of college football’s most experienced quarterbacks and arguably the greatest Group of Five quarterback in history. McCall is ready to jump to the Power Four, which is a great spot for him to do so.
NC State has to travel to Clemson, but they have a favorable conference schedule other than that game. They avoid Miami, FSU, Louisville and Virginia Tech. If they can avoid upsets, which they are so good at doing, this team could easily make it to the ACC Championship Game. I can’t quite get there at this price, especially because I expect them to lose to Clemson, but I would not be remotely surprised to see this team win ten games and have a chance to win the ACC Championship Game and make the College Football Playoff.
Louisville (+800)
Louisville had a great first year under Jeff Brohm. The Cardinals made it to the ACC Championship Game and really should have beat the Jordan Travis-less Florida State team. However, Louisville’s schedule gets much tougher this year. They need to travel to Notre Dame out of conference and face the top two teams in the league, Miami and Clemson. I can’t see them winning any of those three games, and they also have some other tough tests traveling to Kentucky and hosting Pittsburgh, SMU and Georgia Tech.
Tyler Shough is Louisville’s new quarterback, and he is probably an upgrade over Jack Plummer. However, Shough has a major injury history. He has played at Oregon and Texas Tech, but he has never been able to play a full season without getting injured. Louisville’s quarterback depth behind Shough is pretty weak, so if he gets hurt, it could be in huge trouble.
Best Bet: Lousiville u8.5 wins (-140)
Virginia Tech (+1000)
Virginia Tech is one of the most intriguing teams in the country. They have gotten a lot of preseason hype, and a dark horse pick to win the ACC from a lot of people. QB Kyron Drones had a really solid 2023 season after taking over the starting job, and if he can stay healthy, this team should be really fun to watch. Unfortunately, this team has to travel to Miami and face Clemson. Losing both of those games could be what holds them back from making the ACC Championship Game, but if they can pull off an upset in one of those spots, they could have a really special season in Blacksburg.
Notre Dame
Notre Dame arguably benefited more from the College Football Playoff expansion than any other team in the country. The Fighting Irish don’t need to play a conference championship game and can now almost guarantee a playoff birth if they just win 10+ games every year. The only three games that should be tight for them this year are against Florida State, USC and Texas A&M. If they can just win one of those three games, they should make the College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame brought in Riley Leonard at quarterback from Duke this offseason. Leonard can potentially be a serious star in college football this year. They also brought in Leonard’s former Duke teammate RJ Oben, a monster EDGE that could help this defense. Defensive Coordinator Al Golden is one of the best in the business and should have a lot of success with this very talented defense. This Notre Dame WR corps is also much improved, and Riley Leonard should have had a great season throwing the football.
Notre Dame is likely to win 10+ games, so I am betting them to make the College Football Playoff. There is a bit of risk that they lose to Texas A&M in their first game of the season, and the price drops on them to make the playoff, but I am not willing to take the risk that it goes the other way if they win. That is the toughest game on Notre Dame’s schedule, so even if they lose, it does not change my thoughts about them being a playoff team.
Best Bet: Notre Dame to make the playoff (-160)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is blakekrass) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
