2024 ACC Football Preview and Best Bets

Well, degens. Some of you might call it Christmas in August, and others may just call it football season. Whatever way you choose to celebrate, there’s no denying that it is officially time to start thinking about college football. For better or worse, the landscape and conferences we all once knew have changed. Here is my 2024 ACC preview and best bets!

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2024 ACC Football Preview and Best Bets

Whether you like it or not, the 2024-2025 ACC season will see some brand new teams coming to the table. Sadly, bottom feeders like Pittsburgh and Wake Forest are still around. Admittedly, I am a struggling Syracuse fan. And the Orange will have a brand new head coach in Fran Brown.

But that’s not even close to the biggest of changes in the ACC this season, as the conference now includes the likes of SMU, California, and Stanford. So, let’s take a closer look into what the conference offers as far as a favorite, an underdog, and a best bet.

ACC Favorite: Florida State +290

The Florida State Seminoles are coming into this season, with last year’s CFP snub still fresh on the mind. Any player or coach who says otherwise is more than likely a pathological liar. I tend to agree with the “they were snubbed” crowd, but that’s a conversation for a different column. Last year, the Seminoles finished a perfect 8-0 in the ACC and 13-1 overall.

The offense was electric, and their defense was stout, giving up just 136 points. Even after losing many pieces of that outstanding team, they’ll come into this season as the favorite to win the Conference.

The key to the Seminole’s replicating last year’s performance will be a quick assimilation of top-tier transfers into the squad. The roster only returns 8 starters, so their team chemistry will need to come both quickly and seamlessly. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei will need to hook up with many new offensive targets to keep his offense humming.

Luckily, he’ll have a shiny new toy in Alabama transfer Malik Benson to utilize. All in all, this team comes in as a favorite to win the Conference with good reason. Look out for the ‘Noles to repeat as ACC champs.

ACC Best of the Rest: Clemson +350

Let’s get one thing straight: I have a borderline unhealthy level of hate for Clemson head coach Dabo Sweeney. Now that that is out there let’s discuss why the Tigers are probably the best of the rest in the ACC Conference. For starters, the team has built a winning pedigree under Sweeney that is undeniable. However, last season, Clemson finished just 4-4 in Conference play and 9-4 overall.

But they did so with Sophomore Quarterback Cade Klubnik learning on the job. In 2024-2025, he should be ready to take a big step, and that gives this team an edge.

Dabo Sweeney and his staff were noticeably inactive in the transfer portal during the offseason. History will be the judge of whether that was a mistake or not. But as I alluded to above, Quarterback Cade Klubnik should be ready to take a big step forward.

Pair that with a stud running back in Phil Mafah and a stellar offensive line. Basically, It may not matter that their defense will be average because the offense will score points by the bucketload. If you’re looking for some side action, I’d co-sign the Clemson Win total over.

ACC Underdog: SMU +1500

Who in the world doesn’t love a good underdog? I know all my degens reading this article aren’t afraid to hitch their wagon to an underdog cart. SMU is a newcomer to the ACC conference and should be handled with extreme caution. The reasons for my previous sentence are two-fold: SMU was a whopping eighth in the country in scoring last year, and they return 14 starters to this season’s roster.

But the shift from AAC to ACC will be a considerable one. So, if they plan on playing the underdog role, then it will be the defense that needs to shine.

SMU’s Conference Win total is set at 5.5, which I tend to believe may be a bit high. But life is too damn short to be betting an under. However, at +1500 to win the ACC, it may be worth a smaller play for what should be a good sweat.

With scoring expected to remain running on high octane, the defense is what will define this team. The Mustangs added a few players via the transfer portal to plug a few gaps.

The question will be, can they keep the levy from breaking? If they can find an average points allowed in the range of last year’s team, then watch out for the Mustangs to be a surprise.

ACC Best Bet: Florida State Over 9.5 Regular Season Wins -110

When it comes time to place a best bet, I like to keep it simple and not overthink the situation. As such, there really isn’t anything too bold about my ACC 2024-2025 Season best bet. Florida State comes in to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke.

They also have that added chip on their shoulder to show the CFP just how wrong they actually were. The Florida State schedule includes two ACC games right out of the gate and a couple of other lay-ups.

This team has 10 wins in them, and I think that is the number square on the nose. Good luck to all you degens this season, may the odds be ever in our favor!

Do You Need More College Football Season Previews?

If you’re gearing up for the 2024 college football season and want to know about more than just the Sun Belt, SGPN has you covered. The Sports Gambling Podcast has in-depth conference previews for every conference, even the PAC-2.

Also, The College Football Experience goes even deeper on every single FBS team with win total picks and college playoff best bets. Check out our previews, take our best bets, and let it ride!