Odds to win the ACC championship: Bettors are sleeping on Pitt
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The 2020-21 college football season is already off to a raucous start. If it wants an even crazier finish, a program not named Clemson will win the ACC.
The Tigers have set the standard, winning the conference in each of the last five years. Does another team have what it takes to dethrone one of the nation's top powerhouses?
Odds to win the ACC
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Clemson | -350 |
| Notre Dame | +500 |
| Miami | +1600 |
| North Carolina | +1600 |
| Florida State | +2000 |
| Pittsburgh | +4000 |
| Virginia Tech | +4000 |
| Louisville | +5000 |
| NC State | +10000 |
| Boston College | +25000 |
| Duke | +25000 |
| Georgia Tech | +25000 |
| Syracuse | +25000 |
| Wake Forest | +25000 |
| Virginia | +25000 |
The favorite
In the least surprising college football news you'll read all day, Clemson (-350) is the favorite to win the ACC.
The Tigers are a perfect 16-0 in ACC play over the last two years. They've lost just two conference games over the previous five years, which includes four trips to the national championship and two wins in the big game.
Biggest movers
Miami (+750 to +1600)
Miami's price was adjusted to 16-1 after Notre Dame was added to the ACC. The Hurricanes are coming off an underwhelming 6-7 season that concluded with a bowl loss to Louisiana Tech. However, Miami could do some damage in 2020. The team is led by transfer quarterback D'Eriq King, who was responsible for 50 total touchdowns two years ago at Houston.
Virginia (+2000 to +25000)
This was a terrible opening number for a program that won the Coastal last season. Virginia's simply replacing too much on offense, ranking No. 95 in returning production. Good luck trying to fill the shoes of quarterback Bryce Perkins, who accounted for close to 80% of the total offense.
Syracuse (+6600 to +25000)
Syracuse is another team falling down the oddsboard. After winning 10 games in 2018, the Orange crumbled last season en route to a 5-7 record.
To make matters worse, Syracuse failed the advanced metrics test: Second-order wins projected the program for just 4.7 victories.
Best value - Pittsburgh (+4000)
Pitt - not Louisville, or North Carolina, or whichever team is hyped to challenge Clemson - is the best value in this field, and there isn't a close second.
A defensive line that led the nation in sacks (3.92) last year brings back almost every key piece from the unit. Pitt will be one of the best up front in 2020 yet again.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett has plenty of experience to get the job done on offense. He threw for more than 3,000 yards in his first season under coordinator Mark Whipple and should dazzle on the stat sheet with four of his top five receivers back from last year.
Pitt won eight games in 2019 despite not putting up points (No. 114 scoring offense). The roster this fall is uber-talented, and one that will be in the mix later down the road.
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.