ACC Coastal Division Odds: New-Look Miami the Preseason Favorite

Defending Division Champion Pittsburgh Eager to do it Again

Miami made a change at the top with former offensive lineman Mario Cristobal returning to Coral Gables to be the Hurricanes’ head coach. The team he will be coaching is much different from the one that finished two games behind division champion Pittsburgh in 2021 thanks to an influx of talent available on the transfer portal. Where do the ACC Coastal Division odds stand?

Pittsburgh will try to show that there is life after Kenny Pickett after surging to the top of the ACC Coastal Division standings a season ago while Virginia and North Carolina will look to shake off mediocre 2021 campaigns. The NCAAF betting odds are open for business.

Miami (+550) trails only Clemson in the odds to win the ACC championship in 2022. Miami tops the division with an expected win total of 8½ so that is a sign that those making the ACC Coastal Division odds aren’t expecting any of these teams to compete on a national scene in 2022.

Miami Hurricanes (+140 to win the division)

All the talk heading into the 2021 season focused on quarterback D’Eriq King and how the Heisman Trophy candidate was going to lead the Hurricanes to a division title. By the end of the season, it was Tyler Van Dyke who became the face of the Miami program. Now Van Dyke is tied for fourth in the odds to win the Heisman Trophy.

Eleven of the 16 players to catch passes for Miami in 2021 were freshmen, so there will be plenty of familiar faces for Van Dyke to throw to. Miami returns many of its top running backs as well as many of the top tacklers as well.

Miami added former UCLA linebackers Caleb Johnson and Mitchell Agude, who combined for 99 tackles last season, UAB defensive lineman Antonio Moultrie, Maryland defensive lineman Darrell Jackson, USC defensive lineman Jacob Lichtenstein, West Virginia defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor and cornerback Daryl Porter.

On offense, Cristobal brought a pair of former Oregon offensive linemen Logan Sagapolu, and Jonathan Dennis to Coral Gables as well as Ole Miss running back Henry Parrish, and Clemson receiver Frank Ladson.

There were quite a few outgoing transfers as well, including running back Cody Brown and defensive lineman Nesta Jade Silvera.

Pittsburgh (+275 to win the division)

Quarterback Kenny Pickett didn’t go far as he was drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers after leading the Panthers to the ACC Coastal Division title.

Former USC quarterback Kedon Slovis will be running the offense in 2022 and he could be throwing to Jerrod Means who averaged nearly 20 yards per reception a season ago for Louisiana Tech.

The Panthers had more than three times as many players transfer out as they did come in via transfer. The biggest loss is All-American receiver, Jordan Addison. Two quarterbacks left the program which was a curious development with Pickett off to the NFL, but with the highly touted Slovis entering the picture, heading elsewhere was the way they chose to go.

There will be some holes to fill on defense, but there is enough returning talent for Pittsburgh to be in the title picture once again even if the ACC Coastal Division odds don’t have the Panthers entering the season as the favorite.

Virginia (+450 to win the division)

Former Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott takes over at Virginia. Elliott had coached at Clemson since 2011 so he knows the ACC well. As a first-time head coach, it will be hard for those involved in NCAA football betting to know what to expect from the Cavaliers in 2022.

Virginia was one of the underachieving teams in the ACC a season ago. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong threw for nearly 4500 yards during 2021. He threw for 31 touchdowns and ran for nine others. Top receivers Dontayvion Wicks and Keytaon Thompson are back to be on the receiving end of Armstrong’s passes once again. There are some losses on defense for Virginia to deal with.

Former Miami running back Cody Brown, Miami (Ohio) defensive end Kameron Butler, Stanford defensive end Andres Fox, and Georgetown offensive lineman Mac Hollensteiner are among the players transferring in.

Offensive linemen Bobby Haskins, Victor Oluwatimi, Ryan Swoboda, and Joseph Bissinger as well as linebackers Noah Taylor, and West Weeks have transferred elsewhere.

North Carolina (+550 to win the division)

Quarterback Sam Howell and running back Ty Chandler are in the NFL now so some new offensive playmakers will need to emerge. Josh Downs returns after catching 101 passes during the 2021 season.

Five of the top 11 tacklers a season ago were sophomores, including leading tackler Cedric Gray. North Carolina ranked near the bottom of the ACC in scoring defense and total defense, so there will need to be signs of growth on that side of the ball.

Harvard offensive lineman Spencer Rolland, Miami offensive lineman Corey Gaynor, cornerback Lejond Cavazos, and defensive lineman Jacolbe Cowan, both from Ohio State, and Virginia linebacker joined the program.

Running back Kamarro Edmonds, safety Cameron Roseman-Sinclair, receiver Beau Corrales, cornerback Trey Morrison, – linebackers Eugene Asante, and Tyrone Hopper all transferred out.

Virginia Tech (+800 to win the division)

Marshall’s Grant Wells, who threw for more than 3500 yards, is among the newcomers. Other incoming transfers include Temple receiver Jadan Blue, Nebraska linebacker Pheldarius Payne and South Carolina quarterback Jason Brown.

The Hokies had 14 players transfer, including second-leading receiver Travion Robinson and starting quarterback Braxton Burmeister.

All the players who caught passes in 2021 had remaining eligibility so the passing game could be explosive in 2022. There were also a lot of young players who saw time on the defensive side of the ball and that was evident at times in 2021.

Georgia Tech (+3300 to win the division)

Georgia Tech was very active on the transfer front. Dylan McDuffie, a 1,000-yard rusher at Buffalo, will be joined by Akron’s top passer Zach Gibson, and former Clemson reserve quarterback Taisun Phommachanh — former Syracuse tight end Luke Benson and offensive lineman RJ Adams from Kentucky will be among the new faces on offense. The loss of running back Jahmyr Gibbs to Alabama, hurts deeply.

Safeties Khari Gee/Ahmari Harvey-transferred in from Auburn, and Notre Dame, while cornerback KJ Wallace also comes in from Notre Dame – former Auburn cornerback Eric Reed will also be heading to Atlanta.

The Yellow Jackets did lose leading rusher Gibbs, defensive back Wesley Walker, defensive lineman Jordan Domineck, and defensive lineman Jared Ivey who were sixth, seventh, and ninth on the team in tackles last season.

The Yellow Jackets also lost leading tackler Quez Jackson.

Duke (+15000 to win the division)

Duke’s secondary should be improved with some incoming transfers. FCS All-American Darius Joiner (142 tackles for Western Illinois in 2021), former Iowa State cornerback Datrone Young, who had 31 tackles and an interception a season ago, as well as Michigan safety Jordan Morant. The Blue Devils also added three former Ivy League players: Cornell offensive lineman Jack Burns, Harvard defensive end Anthony Nelson, and Columbia linebacker Cam Dillon.

Leading receiver Jake Bobo transferred to UCLA. Second-leading tackler Lummie Young transferred to Tulane and fellow defensive backs Jalen Alexander, Nate Thompson, and Jeremiah Lewis also transferred as did defensive tackle Gary Smith.

Top tackler Shaka Heyward is back to lead the defense in 2022.