Skip to content

ACC title odds: Miami can dethrone Clemson

Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Oddsmakers might want to just start setting the over/under on how many years it'll take for an ACC team not named Clemson to win the conference.

The Tigers, off their sixth straight title in 2020, are far and away the heaviest chalk in the conference championship market, blowing away fellow Power 5 favorites such as Ohio State (-250) in the Big Ten and Alabama (-200) in the SEC.

Capping off our fifth and final Power 5 preview, here's our stance on the ACC this upcoming season.

Odds to win the ACC in 2021

Team Odds
Clemson -900
North Carolina +700
Miami +1000
NC State +1600
Louisville +2200
Virginia Tech +2500
Pittsburgh +3300
Virginia +3300
Florida State +3500
Boston College +5000
Georgia Tech +5500
Wake Forest +5500
Syracuse +10000
Duke +12500

Best bet

Miami +1000

You want to beat Clemson? Go find an offense.

The Tigers have lost seven games since 2015 - the start of their six-year title surge. In those seven losses, the opposing offense averaged 39.6 points per contest.

Now, the biggest threat is Miami.

The first order of business last year was installing the unit. The program hired offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee to pick up the tempo, and the results were remarkable: The Hurricanes averaged 75.6 plays per game - up from 68.4 the year prior - and, in turn, saw boosts in both yards per play (5.1 to 5.8) and points per game (22.6 to 34.0).

The scary part is how much potential the 2021 group has.

Quarterback D'Eriq King, who accounted for 50 touchdowns with Houston in 2018, is back, and so are the top-three rushing yard producers from last season - not including King, who registered 538 yards, the second-most on the team, and four scores on the ground.

The receiving corps' big loss is tight end Brevin Jordan, but Miami otherwise returns everyone from last year. King gets back four pass-catchers who registered at least 20 receptions in 2020, not to mention Oklahoma transfer and newcomer Charleston Rambo, who produced 68 catches for more than 1,000 yards over a two-year span with the Sooners.

Overall, the Hurricanes bring back the second-most production in the entire nation from last season.

This is head coach Manny Diaz' best shot at an ACC title.

Team to avoid

Clemson (-900)

I simply don't think -900 - an implied probability of 90% - is a fair price on a team with more question marks than usual.

There aren't many programs in the country that could withstand losing a player of Trevor Lawrence's caliber, but Clemson will hardly break a sweat. The program got a good look at heir apparent D.J. Uigalelei last year, and all he did was throw up 40 on Notre Dame in his first road start. Uigalelei's obviously the real deal.

However, it'll also be his first full season navigating an ACC schedule. And for a team blessed with elite stability under center, we could potentially see some cracks in the armor sooner than later, considering the inexperience.

The Tigers are also tasked with finding their everyday left tackle, replacing Travis Etienne's production out of the backfield, and patching up a defense that unconventionally allowed 21 plays of 30 or more yards last campaign.

This isn't a bet I'd be rushing to make.

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.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox