In recent years, the ACC has been dominated by Clemson. The Tigers won the conference championship every year from 2015 through 2020, and they’ve won 20 ACC titles overall. That’s five more than second-place Florida State, which hasn’t won a conference crown since 2014.
However, Clemson came up short in their quest for a seventh straight conference crown last year. That honor fell to Pittsburgh, who defeated Wake Forest in the ACC Championship. That said, Pittsburgh lost quarterback Kenny Pickett to the NFL Draft, who was the ACC Player of the Year last season.
Can Clemson reclaim their throne in 2022, or will there be another surprise champ? Let’s dive into the ACC football predictions to find out.
ACC Football Predictions: Best Win Total Bet
Clemson Under 10.5 Regular Season Wins (-130)
The big problem with Clemson last year was their passing attack. They ranked just 103rd in passing yards per game, which was a far cry from the Clemson squads under Trevor Lawrence, Deshaun Watson, and Taj Boyd.
Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei entered the season as a Heisman hopeful after a successful pair of fill-in appearances as a true freshman in 2020. Unfortunately, that success did not carry over to his first year as a full-time starter. He finished with more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (9), and he averaged just 5.3 adjusted yards per attempt. That was the third-worst mark among 105 qualified quarterbacks.
Clemson is reportedly working hard on making Uiagalelei more comfortable this year, but the pressure is building. If he doesn’t show marked improvement, five-star freshman Cade Klubnik is waiting in the wings.
Quarterback is the Tigers’ only real question mark. They return their top three running backs and four starters on the offensive line. The defense is loaded and should be one of the top units in college football.
Still, Clemson is currently priced like an absolute slam-dunk to win the ACC. Their best odds are -120 on DraftKings Sportsbook, which puts them in the same vicinity as Alabama to win the SEC (-130) and Ohio State to win the Big 10 (-200). I don’t agree with that assessment. In fact, I’m leaning towards the under on 10.5 regular season wins for the Tigers.
Where To Bet: Clemson Under 10.5 regular season wins | -130 at DraftKings Sportsbook
ACC Football Predictions: Best Bets
If you’re fading the Tigers, what teams should you be looking to back instead? There are a few interesting candidates to consider, and Miami is currently considered the No. 1 challenger. They’re led by quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who blossomed into a star last season. He took over following an injury to D’Eriq King in Week 1, and he finished the year with six straight games of at least 300 passing yards and three touchdowns.
However, Van Dyke lost his top two pass catchers from last year. Charleston Rambo racked up 79 catches and 1,172 yards in his lone season with Miami – both school records – while Mike Harley graduated as the school’s all-time receptions leader. That uncertainty at wide receiver makes Miami a bit overpriced at +550.
NC State To Win The ACC Championship (+800)
Instead, I’d rather roll the dice with NC State and Pittsburgh. The former is available at +800 on FanDuel, while the latter is +1000 on PointsBet.
Both teams have big holes to fill this season, with NC State losing star offensive lineman Ickey Ekwonu and Pitt losing QB Kenny Pickett. Still, both teams have clear paths to the ACC title.
NC State has arguably the tougher road since they are part of the Atlantic Division. That means they’re going to have to finish better than Clemson to earn a spot in the conference title game, and they’ll have a head-to-head matchup with the Tigers during the regular season.
Outside of Ekwonu, NC State returns most of its core from last year’s 9-3 squad. In fact, their 17 returning starters are more than any other team in the ACC. The defense is stout, and quarterback Devin Leary racked up 35 touchdowns and just five interceptions last year. They’re likely going to have to beat Clemson on the road to make it to the Conference Championship, but they’re expected to be favored in every other game this season.
Where To Bet: NC State to win the ACC Championship | +800 at FanDuel Sportsbook
Pittsburgh To Win The ACC Championship (+1000)
It’s easy to write off Pitt after losing a first-round quarterback, but this team still has plenty of juice. They should boast one of the best rushing attacks in the country, returning all five starters on the offensive line and their top three rushers from last year.
USC transfer Kedon Slovis is expected to replace Pickett at QB, and he had some moments with the Trojans. He racked up 30 touchdowns with just nine interceptions as a freshman in 2019, resulting in an average of 9.4 adjusted yards per attempt. Perhaps playing behind Pittsburgh’s quality offensive line can help him recapture his prior form.
Finally, playing in the Coastal Division means Pittsburgh won’t see Clemson until a potential showdown in the ACC Championship. Their biggest test will come against Miami in the final week of the regular season. The fact that the game is so late gives us plenty of time to hedge if desired.
Bottom line: The defending champs should not be available at 10-1 to repeat.
Where To Bet: Pittsburgh to win the ACC Championship | +1000 on PointsBet
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