ACC College Football Preview: Teams to Watch, Breakout Players, and Best Bets for 2024

The ACC conference will have a new look and feel ahead of the 2024 college football season.

The conference fields a hefty 17 teams, including three newcomers: the Stanford Cardinal, the California Golden Bears, and the SMU Mustangs.

Of the 17 teams, 7 of them are top-26 in national championship odds (via FanDuel Sportsbook), so the conference should be quite competitive across the college football landscape.

Let's take a closer look at the conference ahead of the 2024 season.

ACC Team Win Totals

Here's a snapshot of each team's win total, national championship odds, and College Football Playoff odds, via FanDuel Sportsbook.

ACC Championship Odds

And here are the live odds for the ACC Championship game winner.

ACC Teams to Watch

Florida State Seminoles

There isn't a singular dominant team in the ACC, according to the preseason odds.

With that said, it's the Florida State Seminoles who own the shortest National Championship odds (+3000) in the conference.

After being left out of the College Football Playoff a year ago, their +160 odds to make the CFP also lead the conference.

Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei is rejoining the ACC after three seasons with the Clemson Tigers and a year in the Pac-12 with the Oregon State Beavers. Uiagalelei has +3000 odds to win the Heisman and ranked 12th in QBR with the Beavers last season.

Edge rusher Patrick Payton enters the season a consensus top-30 pick by NFL Mock Draft Database's consensus big board to anchor a defense projected to rank top-10 in defensive SP+.

Clemson Tigers

The Tigers have a win total of 8.5, which ranks behind FSU (9.5) and the Miami (FL) Hurricanes (9.5). However, their odds to make the CFP (+200) are slightly better than Miami's (+210).

Clemson's home schedule could lead to a flawless 7-0 record, but they'll be tested away from home twice in the first six weeks.

They open the season at a neutral venue against the Georgia Bulldogs (well, it's the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta) and play at Florida State on October 5th.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik ranked just inside the top-70 in QBR a year ago and has +5000 odds to win the Heisman.

He'll need to realize his potential for the Tigers to make a true championship run.

Clemson and Florida State have won the ACC every year but one since 2011, and their early-October matchup could prove vital this season.

Miami Hurricanes

By most accounts, the third team in the ACC is the Hurricanes.

Washington State Cougars transfer QB Cam Ward takes over for Miami this season alongside Oregon State Beavers transfer RB Damien Martinez in the backfield.

Ward is a top-10 Heisman candidate.

Their schedule is relatively easy for a Power 5 program, and they have a path to the ACC title if all of their transfer potential clicks right away.

Heisman Odds: ACC

As mentioned, Ward, Uiagalelei, and Klubnik lead the conference in Heisman odds, followed by a crop of QBs from other teams expected to be competitive this season.

Kyron Drones got off to a slow start for the Virginia Tech Hokies last season before settling in. Over his final nine games, he threw for 16 touchdowns with just 2 interceptions and ran for 654 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Tyler Shough is transferring to play QB for the Louisville Cardinals after spending time with the Oregon Ducks and Texas Tech Red Raiders. Shough has not played more than seven games or attempted more than 177 passes in a season yet, and he turns 25 years old in September.

Grayson McCall, who transferred to the North Carolina State Wolfpack after five seasons with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, ranked 56th in QBR a year ago.

ACC Best Bets for 2024

Duke Over 5.5 Wins (+140)

The Duke Blue Devils have a low win total of 5.5, and there are -172 odds on the under at this prop.

But their schedule sets up well for them to reach six wins.

At home, they face an FCS opponent (Elon) and the Connecticut Huskies and have winnable matchups against the North Carolina Tar Heels, the SMU Mustangs, and the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Their road schedule features matchups with the Northwestern Wildcats, the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Whether it's Grayson Loftis or Maalik Murphy under center anchoring the offense, the Blue Devils project for solid output on that side of the ball.

Further, they're projected to rank top-35 in defensive SP+.

With a semblance of balance and a winnable schedule, Duke seems set up for a solid season.

Louisville Under 8.5 Wins (-162)

Louisville has a pretty high win total, one that puts them firmly toward the top of the ACC. With that said, the under odds (-162) are pretty hefty, but that's the angle that makes sense.

My model has them winning 8.0 games with ESPN's Bill Connelly projecting them for 7.6 and PFF slotting them in for only 7.1.

Their defense projects to be a top-10 unit this year by Connelly, but questions on the offensive side of the ball center on the sheer number of transfers they're relying on -- specifically QB Tyler Shough. Shough, since 2018, has yet to play more than seven games in a season.

Looking for the latest NCAAF odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the college football betting options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.