The bookies believe it’s Miami vs. the Field in the ACC this season.

Despite losing quarterback Carson Beck and several others to the NFL Draft, the Hurricanes are the only odds-on favorite to win their conference at DraftKings Sportsbook this season. Whether that says more about Miami or the quality of the ACC is up for debate.

There were meant to be several contenders for the conference title and a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2025, but one by one they fell off the boil. Clemson was a disappointment across the board. SMU was inconsistent. Louisville was up and down.

In the end, it was Duke beating Virginia in the championship, but the Blue Devils were so uninspiring with their 7-5 record that they didn’t get an invite to the College Football Playoff. Instead, two Group of 5 teams (Tulane, JMU) took a spot, and so did Miami, which finished third in the conference.

Miami would make the committee look good by making it all the way to the National Championship Game, but overall the ACC was a mess in 2025.

There’s a good chance it will be again in 2026.

Despite the roster turnover, it’s reasonable that Miami is the clear frontrunner in the ACC. The Hurricanes replaced Beck with Darian Mensah, a legitimate Heisman candidate coming off a 3,973-yard, 34-touchdown campaign for Duke. The Hurricanes also grabbed Mensah’s No. 1 receiver from Duke, Cooper Barkate, for good measure.

In the context of the national championship, the questions about Miami are legit. They lost so much talent that it’s a bit crazy to just expect them to bounce right back to their form from last winter. But in the context of the ACC race, the red flags aren’t too concerning because the other contending teams are much more flawed.

They’re also being offered at much better prices.

Two of them really stand out.

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Best bet: Virginia Tech (30/1, theScore Bet)

So much about James Franklin’s hire at Virginia Tech makes sense.

This is a once-proud program that needs some life and respect restored and Franklin can do that in spades. He may not have been able to get Penn State over the hump, but he brought them to the hump.

And unlike in previous eras, a coaching move like this doesn’t mean that Franklin has to completely reset. He brought some solid contributors from Happy Valley to Blacksburg with him, including quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and tight end Luke Reynolds, along with defensive coordinator Brent Pry.

Grunkemeyer didn’t set the world alight when he took over for Drew Allar, but he put together some admirable numbers in a brutal situation. That counts, and the task should be a bit easier in the ACC compared to the Big Ten.

Franklin and Co. will need to overcome a tough-by-ACC-standards schedule, but their hardest games come after a soft opening. They’ll have time to work out the kinks before showdowns against Clemson, SMU, Miami, and Virginia.

Simply put, I’m comfortable betting on Virginia Tech because I believe the difference between Franklin’s Hokies and the glut of teams between them and Miami isn’t really that profound.

Long shot: Cal (45/1, DraftKings)

Here’s the dark secret that was exposed in the ACC last year. You don’t have to be that good to make the title game.

Virginia’s turnaround was remarkable, and they deserved their spot in the showpiece, but they lost to a 7-5 team in the championship.

Cal may not be a great team, but they won’t have to be to give this bet some serious legs.

And the Golden Bears have something going for them that nobody else does: They have Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, a talismanic quarterback who just put up 3,454 yards and 18 touchdowns, all while regularly turning heads with highlight-reel plays as a freshman.

JKS also seemed to get better as the season trudged on, as he threw for at least 320 yards in three of his last four contests.

New head coach Tosh Lupoi brings a sparkling reputation as a recruiter with him from Oregon, and on paper it looks like he did a great job of surrounding Sagapolutele with talent. If he can work his magic with the defense, this team has serious potential.

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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.