College Football ACC Preview: Odds, Picks & Predictions for 2025

We have time warped back to the mid-2010s when the ACC was Clemson’s conference to lose.

They have one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Cade Klubnik and a handful of future first-round picks on their defense. 

Will the Tigers live up to those expectations? Can Miami finally break through?

And don’t forget about SMU, which made the College Football Playoff last season. Or better yet, who are this year’s Mustangs?

I break down the 2025 ACC with my best college football picks.

ACC best bets for 2025

Pick
Clemson to win the ACC	+105
Duke Over 6.5 wins	-194
Louisville Under 8.5 wins	+128

Read on for our full analysis and ACC breakdown!

Odds to win the ACC

Team	Odds to win	Win total O/U
Clemson	+105	10.5
Miami	+400	9.5
Louisville	+750	8.5
SMU	+900	8.5
Georgia Tech	+1400	7.5
Duke	+2700	6.5
Florida State	+2700	7.5
Pittsburgh	+4000	6.5
NC State	+4500	6.5
Virginia Tech	+4500	6.5
North Carolina	+5000	7.5
Boston College	+7500	5.5
Syracuse	+8000	5.5
California	+10000	5.5
Virginia	+10000	6.5
Wake Forest	+30000	4.5
Stanford	+30000	3.5

Odds courtesy of FanDuel.

ACC preview: Tigers show their teeth

The ACC is once again a 17-team conference with no divisions in 2025, and my brain still can’t handle the fact that a team called Cal plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference. But only a handful of teams could win the conference this year.

Clemson won six ACC titles in a row between 2015 and 2020 with little to no opposition. Then a “down” period saw the Tigers win just one conference crown between 2021 and 2023 before winning again last season. 

Now, Dabo Sweeney has his best roster since Trevor Lawrence was his quarterback, and the Tigers are the unequivocal favorites this season.

But even so, the ACC won’t be a cakewalk. Mario Cristobal and Miami are still trying to break through. Southern Methodist isn’t going anywhere, and who could be this year’s Mustangs? Georgia Tech has one of the best QBs in the conference in Haynes King.

And of course, what the hell is going to happen with Bill Belichick and North Carolina? Will a team full of transfers gel under the GOAT NFL head coach? Or will the Tar Heels turn out to be a dumpster fire? Either way, we’re going to watch.

The favorites

I wasn’t joking when I said Clemson was the unequivocal favorite, as they are sitting at close to even money to win the conference. But let’s pause on the Tigers for a moment and look at some of the other favorites, starting with The U.

Can Mario Cristobal and Miami finally break through and win an ACC title? Right now, the Hurricanes are the second favorite at +400. To do that, they’ll need former Georgia QB Carson Beck to be the guy he was in 2023. If he is, the Canes can have one of the best offenses in the country. But can the defense do its part?

Next up, a little surprisingly, is Jeff Brohm’s Louisville Cardinals at +750. It’s an experienced squad with former USC QB Miller Moss taking over for Tyler Shough. But the schedule for the Cardinals is tough.

Last year’s surprise team was the Southern Methodist Mustangs, who were oh so close to winning the conference, losing a back-and-forth battle with Clemson. Kevin Jennings is back and is one of the most dynamic QBs in the conference.

But I think the team that can make the SMU leap in 2025 is Georgia Tech. QB Haynes King is in the conversation for the best at his position in the ACC, and this team believes in itself, earning big upsets against Florida State and Miami last season, and coming oh-so-close to beating rival Georgia. This is arguably Brent Key’s best squad, and they have value at +1300 to win the conference.

The rest of the field

I’m also high on the Duke Blue Devils this season, and they are an intriguing long shot at +2500. Manny Diaz built one of the best defenses in the conference in his first year at Durham, and this year, he got a big upgrade at under center as the Blue Devils gave former Tulane QB Darian Mensah a $3 million bag.

Can Mike Norvell bounce back after a disastrous 2-10 season at Florida State? His seat may be the hottest in the conference. Norvell hit the transfer portal hard again this offseason, but will they be able to gel well enough to save Norvell’s job? I’m not so sure.

We’ve got to touch on Pat Narduzzi’s Pitt Panthers. With Eli Holstein and Desmond Reid back in their second year with offensive coordinator Kade Bell, the Panthers’ offense should be potent while the defense returns eight starters. But remember, Narduzzi is like James Franklin Lite, and regularly loses games he shouldn’t.

Will Bill Belichick succeed in Year 1 at UNC?

Does anyone really know? Sure, Belichick is one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time. But will that translate to a college program? One that is made up almost entirely of transfers trying to learn a new system. Yes, there is some talent on this roster. I would lean Under 7.5 wins for the Tar Heels. However, they have a soft schedule, and going 8-4 wouldn’t be that shocking. But neither would 4-8, for that matter.

Pick to win the ACC: Clemson (+105)

I’ve done a complete turnaround on Cade Klubnik and, in turn, Clemson after watching his development last season. He led the Tigers to the ACC Championship and played Texas tough in the first round of the College Football Playoff. There’s a reason he’s among the betting favorites to win the Heisman this season.

But Clemson is more than just Klubnik. He’s playing behind the best offensive line in the country, and with Antonio Williams and Bryant Westco Jr. on the outside, he’s got a couple of elite weapons to throw to. Then there’s the defense. The Tigers have two NFL first-round picks on the defensive line in TJ Parker and Peter Woods. 

Mix in a schedule that has them avoiding Miami, and getting SMU at home, and a return to the ACC title game is expected.

Yes, I’m going with the heavy favorite here, but the combination of talent and experience makes Clemson one of my favorite teams this year, to the point where I’ve made a bet on them to not only win the ACC but the National Championship as well.

Favorite win totals bet: Duke O/U 6.5 (-194)

Manny Diaz turned heads during his first season in Durham, leading the Blue Devils to an unexpected 9-4 record. Yet, sportsbooks are betting on a regression, setting Duke’s win total at 6.5. And sure, maybe Duke doesn’t win nine games again, but nine seems much more likely than six.

For starters, the powers that be at Duke are showing a real commitment to the football program. The evidence is the fact that they handed $3 million over to bring Darian Mensah over from Tulane to be their new quarterback. Mensah should be an upgrade over last year’s starter, Maalik Murphy.

Mensah threw for 2,723 yards while completing 66% of his passes with 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions as a true freshman with the Green Wave. And he’ll play behind an offensive line that returns four starters and only allowed 12 sacks last season.

But a Manny Diaz team is always built on defense. The Blue Devils return seven starters on a unit that had 43 sacks last year.

Duke will be favored in three of its four non-conference games and at least five ACC matchups. Like I said, nine wins feels more plausible than six, so give me the Over.

Bonus bet: Louisville Under 8.5 wins (+128)

I understand that Louisville is talented and returns a lot of experience. I’ve just never been a big believer in Jeff Brohm’s offensive scheme.

And this year, the Cardinals are dealing with some big changes at key positions.

Former USC quarterback Miller Moss is the new man under center in Louisville, but he was benched for a reason. And yes, they have one of the better running back rooms in the country, but Moss & Co. will be playing behind a completely rebuilt offensive line.

While it is an experienced group, they have no experience together, and it could take them a little while to gel. And unfortunately for them, the schedule does the Cardinals no favors.

They travel to Pitt, Miami, and SMU, and they host Clemson, and of course, close the regular season with rival Kentucky.

Nine wins will be tough, and at plus money, I’ll take a shot at the Under.

Best ACC player prop bet

Cade Klubnik, QB: Heisman Trophy winner (+900 at FanDuel)

Klubnik has seen a lot of action in this market, and for good reason. He threw for 3,636 yards with a whopping 36 touchdowns compared to just six picks. He’s also a sneaky good athlete, rushing for another 642 yards and seven scores. If he can replicate those numbers for a team expected to win the ACC title and be a high-ranking playoff team, a trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony is most certainly on the table for the Tigers' signal caller.

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