ACC football is flying under the radar as a hotbed for futures betting opportunities.
The 2024 college football season is rapidly approaching, and with the start of the season comes a chance to pay your bills and place some smart futures wagers. No better is there a place to find some futures opportunities than with ACC football.
Vegas obviously does a fantastic job of setting game lines. But when assessing the potential of an entire season, the oddsmakers often leave opportunities that bettors should take advantage of.
Let’s take a look at a new look ACC football slate and see where we can make some money.
All odds are from Fanduel Sportsbook
Boston College
Win Total: 4.5
The ACC breakdown starts with one of the hardest teams to project, Boston College. After moving on from Jeff Hafley, Boston College brings in Bill O’Brien. Bill brings a wealth of experience and has recently coached under the greats Saban and Belichick.
BC will enter the season with their standard roster construction of a good offensive line and question marks everywhere else. What makes them so difficult to project this year is that my favorite player on their roster is Quarterback Thomas Castellanos, but I am not sure Bill O’Brien will bring in a system that allows him to thrive as the dynamic athlete that he is.
4.5 is the perfect line for BC and depending on the Pitt and UVA game this team could get or 4 or 5 wins. I have them at 4 wins, but I will stay away from this line.
Prediction: Under
Confidence Level: 2
Total Units Bet: 0
California
Win Total: 5.5
After years and years of heartfelt pleading, College football fans finally get what we have all been asking for! We will finally get to see California play in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Cal is an easy team to breakdown as they continue to run the exact same season out year after year.
They will be led by their stud Running Back Jayden Ott, and they will do everything they can to establish him each and every week. The issue is that he can’t also play defense, and unless there has been a philosophy change, I don’t see this defense able to compete with the better offenses of the ACC.
Cal’s schedule will come down to the Pitt and SDSU game on which way this line goes. I have them at 5 wins, but again have no level of confidence that this is a win.
Prediction: Under
Confidence Level: 2
Total Units Bet: 0
Clemson
Win Total: 9.5
The years change but the favorites to win the ACC stay the same. Clemson is an anomaly to me. They refuse to use the portal and they are willing to let their young guys grow into the roles that they want them to fill. If this was 2019, then they would be set up for long term success, but this is 2024 so the results are still up in the air.
They do bring back Quarterback Cade Klubnik and he now has a year under his belt of a new offensive scheme. I expect him and the offense to take a step forward, but I am struggling to see the spots where the defense will take a step back into the elite category. This will be a team I will have on upset alert throughout the season.
Although I have them set to win 9 games there are a few games that may give them a loss that I am not expecting. NC State and @VT I have Clemson winning but if they were to drop one of those then it would make it a comfortable under.
Prediction: Under
Confidence Level: 5
Total Units Bet: .25
Duke
Win Total: 5.5
Duke comes into 2024 with Manny Diaz calling the shots. Once again, we get a team that is very hard to predict consistency and outcomes. Manny has always been a defensive minded coach, but they come into the season with skill players that the country will know come bowl season. The first big decision he will have to make is who he names as his starting QB. Grayson Loftis and Texas Transfer Maalik Murphy both can get the job done, but Murphy gives you a ceiling that I don’t believe Loftis does. Running back Jaquez Moore and receiver Jordan Moore have homerun potential anytime they touch the ball, and if you also have to be aware of Murphy’s athleticism then that puts major stress on a defense.
Once again we have a line that could go either way. I have Duke projected to win their first 4 games and their last game against Wake. That would leave them needing just one win against @UNC, @GT, or VT to go over. I am higher on this Duke team than most so I will be taking the over.
Prediction: Over
Confidence: 6
Total Units Bet: .5
Florida State
Win Total: 9.5
How do you bounce back from the way that the season ended last year? To me that is the question that will loom over 2024 for Florida State. Although many of the key contributors are gone, they bring in a new cast that is more than capable of building on last year’s success.
The two players I am the most excited about is receiver Malik Benson and running back Jaylin Lucas. If DJ can find a way to get them the ball in space then the defense is more than capable of carrying the rest of the load.
I have this team getting 10 wins with losses @SMU and @Miami. Either of those games could go FSU’s way so I feel good with the over 9.5 bet here.
Prediction: Over
Confidence: 6
Total Units Bet: .5
Georgia Tech
Win Total: 5.5
I have no idea what to do with this team. I loved what Brent Key did with this team last year and returning most of their key pieces tells me that he should build upon that success in year two. However, it is Georgia Tech and it is hard to imagine them having a year to remember. Haynes King and Jamal Haynes could be the best backfield that you couldn’t name and this is the year that can make people remember who they are.
Even though I like where this team is headed I am struggling to find spots in this schedule for them to take advantage. After starting the season 3-2 they very well could lose out. I have them getting 2 more wins but that still only puts them at 5 on the season.
Prediction: Under
Confidence: 4
Total Units Bet: .25
Miami
Win Total: 9.5
To Miami or not to Miami? That is always the question with the Hurricanes. Is the talent elite? Yes. Is Mario Cristobal capable of making correct decisions? No. 9.5 is a high number when you are betting on a coach you can’t trust, but the talent is just so tantalizing.
Cam Ward and Damien Martinez are the best backfield in the ACC, full stop. If Mario can get out of his team’s way and let these two studs control this teams fate then it is hard not to love the potential of this team.
Not only does Miami come in with some great talent, but they also have a schedule that they can take full advantage of. I am high on this team, and I personally have them running the table on this season. A single injury can change that and if this team drops a game, then they could spiral, but I am taking the over here and I expect them to be in the ACC title game.
Prediction: Over
Confidence: 7
Total Units Bet: .75
NC State
Win Total: 8.5
For longtime fans of college of football, we have all wanted to see what Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall could do in a major conference. This year we will finally get that answer as we see him lead this Wolfpack team. He is not the only player that makes this team dangerous, they were able to hang on to stud receiver Kevin Concepcion and he is as dangerous as any skill player in the ACC. If McCall can make the jump, which nothing says he shouldn’t be able to, then this team has the chance to be able to put up points and put them up quickly.
I am excited to see what this team can do this year. I have them at 9 wins but could also see them getting to that 10 number. Ill take the over here.
Prediction: Over
Confidence: 6
Total Units Bet: .5
North Carolina
UNC returns running back Omarion Hampton and it is hard not to love what he did last year for the Tar Heels. This year’s team feels like a team that is going to rely heavy on the run game and their defense. Although teams can win that way, I am not sure Mack Brown has the discipline to stick with that script. Since taking over at UNC he has liked to field a team that can spread the ball out and put up points, although I am not sure that approach makes the most sense with this roster.
7.5 is the right number and although I have them at 8 wins, I am going to stay away from this line.
Win Total: 7.5
Prediction: Over
Confidence: 3
Total Units Bet: 0
Pittsburgh
Win Total: 5.5
Who will be the QB and can the defense rebound after last year? Those are the two questions that Pitt needs to answer to feel good about their 2024 campaign and I am not sure they have the ability to answer those questions just yet. The good news is that Rodney Hammond and receiver Konata Mumpfield return, so they do have some skill players in place.
This is another line that I am staying away from. Too many questions and not enough time to answer them.
Prediction: Over
Confidence: 0
Total Units Bet: 0
SMU
Win Total: 8.5
Although Stanford will win the headlines, SMU is set to have the most successful ACC season of the newcomers. Rhett Lashlee has put together one of college football’s most exciting offenses and their defense has been taking strides to match their offenses production.
This team is led by quarterback Preston Stone and if he can maintain his same level of success then he will instantly become one of the top QBs in the ACC. This team is set up for success and has an outside shot at pushing for an ACC title in year one.
I am really high on this team from a talent standpoint, but I am worried about the jump to more consistent competition. This team has the talent to be competing for the championship and I hope the conference switch doesn’t stifle those goals.
Prediction: Over
Confidence Level: 6
Total Units Bet: .75
Stanford
Win Total: 3.5
If Wake Forest won’t be the worst team in the ACC then Stanford will likely be the team to steal that crown. Much like Wake, there is nothing I can point to on this roster that would give me any level of hope or confidence going into this year.
I hate totals this low because anything can happen, but I have this team winning 1 game this year, so do what you will.
Prediction: Under
Confidence Level: 5
Total Units Bet: .25
Syracuse
Win Total: 7.5
Syracuse is a wait and see team for me this year. I know nothing about their new head coach and although they were able to add Kyle McCord and keep Oronde Gadsden I am just not confident enough to make any kind of stand one way or the other.
7.5 is too high for me with all of the questions that comes with this team. Stay away.
Prediction: Under
Confidence: 0
Total Units Bet: 0
Virginia
Win Total: 4.5
Unlike last year, this UVA team has an identity and something they can build around for 2024. QB Anthony Colandrea had no clue how to run an offense last year but was electric when the ball was in his hands. Pairing that creativity with a defense who has the potential to keep them in games at least gives UVA a roadmap to success for this year.
Vegas did a great job with the lines this year. Because I have no strong opinions on this team I will be staying away.
Prediction: Over
Confidence: 2
Total Units Bet: 0
Virginia Tech
Win Total: 8.5
The start of 2023 was rough for the Hokies, but they were able to right the ship and looked like world beaters in the second half of the year. This team returns almost all of their production from last year and they will look to build on the excitement of the end of the year. I don’t think they will be able to compete for the conference title, but this is a team that has the talent to upset any ranked opponent they go up against.
I really like this team, but 8.5 is hard number to get behind. Stay away.
Prediction: Under
Confidence: 1
Total Units Bet: 0
Wake Forest
Win Total 4.5
It is finally time for Dave Clawson to reap what he has sown, and this might be the worst team in the ACC. There is nothing I can point to on this roster that would make me feel good as a Demon Deacon fan this year.
Again, this is a stay away from me. There are too many unknowns.
Prediction: Under
Confidence: 0
Total Units Bet: 0
Louisville
Win Total: 8.5
Here we go! After winning us money last year on hitting the over. Jeff Brohm and company come into year two with even loftier expectations. Of all of the new players on this year team, it blows my mind that we are not hearing more about Caullin Lacy. He was one of my favorite mid major players last year and he seems like the ideal fit in a Brohm offense. I expect this year’s offense to look more like the pass heavy attack that we expected last year, and we have the opportunity to field an elite defense to match.
Last year I was super confident about our over. This year I am slightly less confident, but I do see a path to 10 wins. Because of that we are taking the over and seeing what Jeff can do for us!
Prediction: Over
Confidence: 6
Total Units Bet: .5
