ACC college football betting preview: odds, picks, predictions

ByESPN Betting Insiders ESPN logo

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

The Atlantic Coast Conference is back for another exciting season as Clemson looks to add to its trophy case, which already boasts hardware from seven of the past eight ACC championship games. Heisman Trophy candidates Drake Maye (+1600) of North Carolina and Jordan Travis (+1600) of Florida State will have something to say about that, as they look to seize the top spot in the conference and perhaps a College Football Playoff berth.

How will the conference look this fall and what should bettors know before Week 1?

We have everything you need to know to bet on the ACC ahead of the 2023 season here.

Resources: Schedule| Futures | Standings | Rankings | Football Power Index

Favorite futures

Cade Klubnik, QB,Clemson Tigers (+1400)

The Clemson schedule is tailor-made for double-digit victories thanks to a weak nonconference slate coupled with home dates against Florida State and Notre Dame. I'll give you the pleasure of deciding the most daunting road test: off a bye week Oct. 21 at Miami, or Nov. 25 at South Carolina.

Clemson's offense stalled a bit last season, but in comes former TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, who engineered the nation's ninth-ranked scoring offense a season ago in Fort Worth, Texas, while guiding quarterback Max Duggan to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist. There's a lot of upside here. -- Joe Fortenbaugh

Syracuse over 6.5 wins (+130) and Virginia over 3.5 wins (+130)

Odds of +130 have an implied probability of 43%, and SP+ suggests that Syracuse has a 55% chance of going 7-5 or better and UVA, thanks in part to a pretty easy schedule (five opponents projected 65th or worse in SP+), has a 59% chance of going at least 4-8. The current Caesars win totals are REALLY good, and it's hard to find too much of an edge, but these two are enticing. -- Bill Connelly