It feels like just yesterday that we were all watching the UConn Huskies cut down the nets in Houston, Texas, after winning their fifth national title. I'm juiced up for another wild college basketball season, and the ACC has a couple of notable title contenders.
After winning the ACC regular season title, the Miami Hurricanes made it all the way to the Final Four before getting smashed by the Huskies. It'll be interesting to see if the Canes can replicate their success after losing a few key pieces.
But the team everyone seems to be talking about is the Duke Blue Devils. Duke managed to win the ACC Tournament back in March, but it ran out of steam during the first weekend of the NCAA tournament, as its offense didn't show up against Tennessee's vaunted defense.
This conference has a lot of intriguing factors that could give us some real betting value, so let's waste no further time and take a deeper dive.
ACC Regular Season NCAAB Conference Title Odds
| Team Name | Odds (Via BetMGM) |
| Duke | +125 |
| North Carolina | +375 |
| Miami (FL) | +500 |
| Virginia | +700 |
| Clemson | +900 |
| Virginia Tech | +2500 |
| Pitt | +2500 |
| Syracuse | +3500 |
| Wake Forest | +4000 |
| NC State | +4000 |
| Georgia Tech | +8000 |
| Boston College | +8000 |
| Florida State | +8000 |
| Louisville | +10000 |
| Notre Dame | +10000 |
The Favorites
Duke Blue Devils
It's the second year of the Jon Scheyer era, and this Blue Devils team returns a ton of veteran production.
Preseason ACC Player of the Year Kyle Filipowski will look to make the jump on the defensive side of the ball, as he showed a ton of strides down the stretch offensively.
This team is getting a lot of national title talk, and rightfully so with returning players such as guards Jeremy Roach and Tyrese Proctor leading the charge. Forward Mark Mitchell will provide plenty of help to Filipowski up front.
This group should be elite once again.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Head coach Hubert Davis will look to get the Heels back on track after a disappointing 2022-2023 season, and I believe this roster has the chops to do just that.
Notably, center Armando Bacot returns, as he and guard RJ Davis will arguably be the most lethal duo in the ACC.
With a lot of transfers incoming, this Tar Heels team contains a lot of depth. Forwards Harrison Ingram and James Okonkwo should help the defense, which was a big problem last season with Bacot off the floor.
The departure of Caleb Love should be treated as more of a plus rather than a minus for this squad.
And I like incoming five-star freshman guard Elliot Cadeau, who has the potential to step up as the third scoring option.
Other Contenders
Miami (FL) Hurricanes
This Canes team will be a shoe-in for the NCAA tournament, but I'm not quite sure they have the ability to recover from their losses.
Jordan Miller and Isaiah Wong are huge departures for this offense, and that's holding me back from sliding them into the favorites section.
However, the Canes do return Nijel Pack, Wooga Poplar and Norchad Omier, who should be terrific anchors on the offensive end of the floor. Notably, Poplar has been lighting up the summer exhibitions, and he has the potential to carry this Canes team all season long — alongside Pack.
There are questions about this team's depth, and the Canes will once again be one of the smallest teams in the Power Five. But their offense should be strong enough to win a good chunk of their conference games, especially if Matthew Cleveland provides a lot of production as a transfer.
Virginia Cavaliers
It's a new year, but it should be the same old elite defensive Hoos team. Tony Bennett's squad struggled mightily offensively last season, and Kihei Clark finally departs after what felt like 12 seasons at Virginia.
The good news for the Hoos is many believe they have not one but two elite NBA prospects in Ryan Dunn and Reece Beekman. Beekman is already an elite defensive player, so if he's able to improve his offensive game, he can be one of the best all-around players in the country.
The Hoos should comfortably make the NCAA tournament, but I don't think they can compete with the top of the ACC without a consistent offense.
Tourney Hopefuls
Clemson Tigers
Clemson was one of the bubble teams from a year ago, and I'd expect it to make the NCAA tournament this season.
Syracuse transfer Joe Girard III should provide a solid offensive piece to help PJ Hall.
This team should shoot plenty of 3s and could be an Over team early on in the season.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech is another squad with plenty of offensive upside.
Sean Pedulla and Hunter Cattoor could easily be the best backcourt duo in ACC, and I'd expect North Carolina transfer Tyler Nickel to be a terrific piece off the bench to help on the wing.
Virginia Tech has some meshing to figure out in the starting lineup, but this could potentially be a top-three offense in this conference.
Long Shots
NC State Wolfpack
The Wolfpack may end up being just as lethal on the offensive side of the floor as any team in the conference.
I do have some questions about their ability to score on the inside, though.
Butler transfer Jayden Taylor could provide a huge impact right away in the backcourt, as well as forward MJ Rice, who's coming in from Kansas.
Both of these pieces could pay huge dividends, as the Wolfpack could be a very balanced team.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
As for Wake Forest, this is the most intriguing team in the conference. Gonzaga transfer Efton Reid III could be a monster addition for the Demon Deacons, but he's still awaiting word about his eligibility waiver from the NCAA.
The Deacons have another Gonzaga transfer in Hunter Sallis, who will provide an immense impact from day one. Envisioning the 1-2 punch of Sallis and Reid is salivating, as this could be a real dark horse to make noise in this conference.
This offense is going to score a ton of points, and if they can slightly improve the defense (Reid would provide a tremendous lift in that area) from a year ago, I love this team's upside.
ACC Betting Picks & Futures
I don't see a ton of value on the Blue Devils at +125 to win this conference, even though they deserve to be the heavy favorites.
However, I think North Carolina at 4/1 or better is definitely worth a shot.
If the Tar Heels can split their matchups with the Blue Devils, they should take care of business for the rest of their conference schedule. There may even be a nice hedge or middle opportunity when they close out the season at Duke.
For a fun long shot with a high ceiling, give me Wake Forest at 40/1 at BetMGM. I love the potential this offense brings to the table, and if Reid gets his waiver, I wouldn't be stunned to see these odds plummet.
Even if this team doesn't win the conference, the Demon Deacons will easily be on my radar for plenty of situational spots throughout the season. This offense should score at will; let's just hope they can improve slightly on the defensive end of the floor.
I didn't speak about these teams earlier, but I thought I'd mention that Louisville and Notre Dame will be fade candidates early on in the year. I love the Micah Shrewsberry hire for the Irish, but I just think it's going to take some time to transition that program from the Mike Brey era.
As for Louisville, this may end up being one of the worst Power Five teams in the country. I realize it was awful last season, but it just lost to a Division II school in an exhibition for the second season in a row.
I don't really see much of a turnaround, as it's been all downhill in the post-Chris Mack era.
