College Football Betting Preview: 2022 ACC Analysis and Best Bets

Last season, college football betting wasn’t as straightforward in the Atlantic Coast Conference as it was in previous seasons. The Clemson Tigers have been an NCAA powerhouse for the last decade, but they were absent from the ACC Championship Game despite being the third-ranked team in the AP poll heading into 2021. Instead, fans and bettors were treated to a meeting between the Pittsburgh Panthers and Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

This year, Dabo Swinney and the Tigers are favored to take back control of the conference, with Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes being the team that the oddsmakers think will give them the most problems. We’ll dive into all of that — and more — in our conference preview, which features our best bets to win the ACC. 

🏈 College Football predictions for every Week 1 game

Clemson Tigers

Best odds: -120 at Caesars Sportsbook

Returning Starters: 9 Offense, 6 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 10.5

Part of the reason people were so high on Clemson last year was because of quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who you might remember playing the role of spoiler in season 2 of Netflix’s QB1 — he actually stole the starting job from one of the stars of the show, Re-al Mitchell. The 6-foot-4 signal-caller then struggled as a full-time replacement for Trevor Lawrence, the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and the rest was history. The Tigers ended up going just 10-3 and making a disappointing appearance in the Cheez-It Bowl, but this is a new season. Expectations are once again high in South Carolina, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be. The team even has a back-up plan in the event Uiagalelei struggles again, as freshman backup Cade Klubnik has the potential to be an elite college quarterback. 

Miami Hurricanes

Best odds: +700 at BetMGM

Returning Starters: 7 Offense, 7 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 8.5

There’s palpable buzz in Coral Gables right now, as Miami brought in Mario Cristobal to head up the program. Cristobal, who is known as one of the best recruiters in all of college football, went 35-13 as the head coach of the University of Oregon. Now, he’s back with a team he’s very familiar with, as he played his college ball at Miami and then spent time with the Hurricanes as both a graduate assistant and a position coach. Miami has one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Tyler Van Dyke, so don’t expect a big drop-off from an offense that averaged 34.1 points per game last year. But look for Miami’s defense, which was ninth in the conference in scoring defense a year ago, to take a step forward. That would go a long way in helping the team compete in the ACC.

Tyler Van Dyke to freshman Brashard Smith. Who is ready to see these 2 connect more in 2022? pic.twitter.com/KpcRKo6uaX

— Cane Clips (@cane_clips) February 6, 2022

Pittsburgh Panthers

Best odds: +1200 at BetMGM

Returning Starters: 8 Offense, 7 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 7.5

Kenny Pickett was the only quarterback selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, so it’s hard to say that the Panthers will be a Top 5 scoring offense in college football again. They also lost offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, who really opened up the passing game in his time with Pittsburgh. They did, however, add Kedon Slovis in the transfer portal. Slovis threw for 3,502 yards with 30 touchdowns and only nine interceptions in his first season as a starter at USC, but he struggled to match that production in the two years after. The Panthers are banking on him returning to form, as that would really help their chances of having another impressive season. Head coach Pat Narduzzi is one of the best defensive minds in the nation, so he should have his defense playing at a high level this year. But if Pittsburgh is to have any chance of repeating as ACC champion, Slovis is going to have to have an awesome year.

North Carolina State Wolfpack

Best odds: +900 at Caesars

Returning Starters: 7 Offense, 10 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 8.5

The Wolfpack had an impressive statistical profile last year, as they were Top 30 in scoring offense and Top 15 in scoring defense nationally. The team now returns 17 starters from that squad, which means that this could be a very good football team in 2022. Devin Leary emerged as one of the conference’s best quarterbacks a year ago, throwing for 3,433 yards with 35 touchdowns and five interceptions. If NC State can figure out a way to adequately replace Ikem Ekwonu on the offensive line, Leary should put up some massive numbers yet again. But that’s a big “if” considering the Carolina Panthers picked Ekwonu with the sixth pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Defensively, there’s a chance this will be the best unit in the conference, which makes the Wolfpack a legitimate threat to Clemson in the Atlantic division.  

North Carolina Tar Heels

Best odds: +2000 at BetMGM

Returning Starters: 5 Offense, 8 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 6.5

North Carolina no longer has Sam Howell to cover up some glaring issues, which means things might get even worse this season. Jacolby Criswell and Drake Maye are both talented players, but neither one will be able to step in and immediately lead an offense the way Howell did. The Tar Heels also have a very questionable offensive line, which will only make things harder on whoever steps in as the starter. On top of that, North Carolina’s secondary giving up big plays was a huge issue in 2021 and it’s hard to imagine it being much better this year. It just wouldn’t be shocking if this team finishes the season with a losing record.  

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Best odds: +1800 at BetMGM

Returning Starters: 7 Offense, 6 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 8.5

Wake Forest surprised some people with a trip to the ACC Championship Game last year, but they'll be firmly on everyone's radar in 2022. With Sam Hartman still under center for the Demon Deacons, Dave Clawson’s team should once again have an explosive offense — the team averaged 41.0 points per game last season. The question is whether or not there will be improvements made on defense. Wake Forest gave up 28.9 points per game last year, which was only good for 10^th in the ACC. The Demon Deacons emerged victorious in a lot of shootouts last year, but it's hard to win that way on a weekly basis.

UPDATE: QB Sam Hartman is now out indefinitely with a non-football health issue. Not only is he a phenomenal quarterback, but he's also the heart and soul of the program. It's a huge blow for Wake Forest, and it's hard to see this team living up to expectations now. 

Florida State Seminoles

Best odds: +2500 at Caesars

Returning Starters: 8 Offense, 8 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 6.5

If Mike Norvell wants to prove that he deserves to keep the Florida State job, he’s going to have to do it now. The Seminoles bring back 16 starters from last year’s team, and they also added quite a bit of talent in the transfer portal. Florida State’s offensive line has been a real issue in recent seasons, but the play up front just might be a strength in 2022. Norvell will, however, have to find a way to make the game easier on Jordan Travis as a passer. His body simply can’t handle the amount of hits he takes as a run-first signal-caller. Florida State’s defense has started figuring things out under Adam Fuller, so this really shouldn’t be a bad football team. But it’ll likely take eight or so wins for Norvell to please the higher-ups, and the Seminoles don’t have an easy schedule — they play the LSU Tigers in their season opener.

Louisville Cardinals

Best odds: +2500 at Caesars

Returning Starters: 7 Offense, 7 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 5.5

Louisville has one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in all of college football in Malik Cunningham, but that’s really where the praise ends for this football team. Even with a player with Cunningham’s dual-threat ability, the Cardinals were only seventh in the ACC in points per game a year ago. They should once again be above average, but that’s not good enough when you consider the fact that the team doesn’t have that great of a defense. Head coach Scott Satterfield’s seat is already warm, so the pressure is definitely on. 

Virginia Cavaliers

Best odds: +4000 at Caesars

Returning Starters: 4 Offense, 6 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 7

New head coach Tony Elliott oversaw some potent offenses in his time with Clemson, so don’t be surprised if the Cavaliers flirt with last year’s 34.6 points per game. The team might be losing seven starters on offense, but all that really matters is that quarterback Brennan Armstrong and wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks are back. This should be an explosive passing game, and it’ll need to be considering Virginia game up 31.8 points per game last season. The defense will be what determines how the season ends up playing out for the Cavaliers. Virginia can’t afford to give up as many big plays as it did in 2021.

Boston College Eagles

Best odds: +3000 at Caesars

Returning Starters: 6 Offense, 8 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 6.5

Boston College had the third-best scoring defense in the ACC last season and the team now brings back eight starters from that unit. With that said, the Eagles should have a rock-solid defense in 2022. That’ll go a long way with quarterback Phil Jurkovec, wideout Zay Flowers and running back Pat Garwo III all returning on offense. Jurkovec has legitimate buzz as a potential first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and Flowers will also hear his name called at some point. The problem for the Eagles is that they have a tough schedule and a lot of uncertainty along the offensive line. Only one starter returns up front and this team will struggle to win games if that group doesn’t come together to protect at a high level. 

Virginia Tech Hokies 

Best odds: +8000 at Caesars

Returning Starters: 4 Offense, 7 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 6

The Justin Fuente era was an absolute disaster in Blacksburg, but people are excited about the arrival of Brent Pry. The new head coach, who was a graduate assistant with Virginia Tech from 1995 to 1997, was most recently the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions. And considering he has seven returning starters from a defense that allowed only 25.3 points per game in 2021, you can probably count on this being a tough unit to score on in 2022. It could, however, take some time for the Hokies to figure things out on offense, and that significantly caps the upside of this team. 

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Best odds: +20000 at Caesars

Returning Starters: 5 Offense, 3 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 3.5

Like Satterfield with Louisville, head coach Geoff Collins is probably coaching for his job this season. The Yellow Jackets lost the best running back in the conference, Jahmyr Gibbs, to Alabama in the transfer portal, and there just isn’t a whole lot of talent returning to Georgia Tech in 2022. This team also struggled on both sides of the ball last year, and it hasn’t exactly developed an identity since moving away from Paul Johnson and the triple-option offense. Winning games might not be doable with this current roster, but the Yellow Jackets will need to at least be competitive if Collins is going to stick around for another year. 

Syracuse Orange

Best odds: +25000 at Caesars

Returning Starters: 9 Offense, 8 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 4.5

The Orange return eight starters on a defensive unit that should be pretty good in 2022. Syracuse gave up only 26.3 points per game last season, and it wouldn’t be surprising if that number goes down this year. The question for this team is how things will hold up in the trenches, and that goes for both sides of the ball. If the Orange can get some sturdy play from both of their lines, this could be one of the more surprising teams in the ACC. Sean Tucker is one of college football's best running backs. The only issue is that this team can outperform expectations and still struggle to make a bowl game because of its daunting schedule.

Duke Blue Devils

Best odds: +50000 at BetMGM

Returning Starters: 7 Offense, 5 Defense
Over/Under Regular Season Win Total: 3.5

New head coach Mike Elko has a lot of fans after the work he did as a defensive coordinator for Texas A&M, and he should be able to bring some toughness to a program that desperately needed a change. This is, however, one of the bigger rebuilding projects in all of college football, and it’s one that comes with a lot of pressure. The Blue Devils need to prove that they have what it takes to be a solid football program in order to not get lost in the shuffle with all of the conference realignment. This year should be an ugly one for Duke, but it would be considered a success if either Riley Leonard or Jordan Moore can show some flashes at quarterback. The Blue Devils will also want to see improvements out of a defense that allowed more points per game than anybody in the ACC last year.

2022 ACC Best Bet: Miami (+700)

There just isn’t a whole lot of value in taking Clemson to win the conference. The Tigers should bounce back after a down year in 2021, but the odds aren’t good enough to justify backing them. There’s still a world in which Uiagalelei doesn’t figure it out, which would really make things difficult on Clemson. Meanwhile, Miami looks like it’s ready to turn the corner under Cristobal, and winning the Coastal division is definitely a real possibility. If Van Dyke lives up to lofty expectations, this will be a ticket worth having at the end of the year — even if it’s just to get a strong hedge in the ACC Championship Game. This is less of a bet on Miami and more of a bet against Clemson. 

2022 ACC Best Value Play: NC State (+900) 

Not only would Miami be a good bet in the event Clemson falters, but NC State would be another team you will have wished you bet on before the year. The Wolfpack might not be garnering any national buzz right now, but they have all the tools to push the Tigers for the Atlantic. NC State actually beat Clemson in overtime when the two played a year ago, and it’s not out of the question that the Wolfpack will pull off the upset when the two clash in Death Valley this year. Leary is just an absolute stud under center and the Wolfpack also have a very good defense.