ACC Betting Report – Week 6

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

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The Atlantic Coast Conference will have 14 out of the 15 schools in action for Week 6 for a total of seven games, all within the conference. Only the Wake Forest Demon Deacons are off this week.

All games are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, except for Louisville-Georgia Tech.

Conference

• Louisville at Georgia Tech (Friday)
• Virginia Tech at North Carolina
• N.C. State at Virginia
• Duke at Syracuse
• Pittsburgh at Boston College
• Miami-Florida at Clemson
• Florida State at Notre Dame

Wake Forest is off.

Louisville at Georgia Tech (Friday, ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET)

Betting Odds: Louisville -4, O/U 64

• Last Game: Louisville L 20-23 at Pittsburgh (+3, 54)
• Last Game: Georgia Tech L 20-37 at Syracuse (-7.5, 52)

The Cardinals have had two weeks to right the ship after falling for the second consecutive game. They managed a season-low 20 points in Pittsburgh, pushing on a three-point line while cashing the 'under' for the first time this season. After topping Western Kentucky in the opener, the Cardinals have found life rough in the ACC, dropping each of their two conference battles while going 0-1-1 ATS. Louisville is a solid 3-0-1 ATS in their past four games after a straight-u loss, and 5-1 ATS in their previous six as a favorite.

For the Yellow Jackets, they were expected to go up to Syracuse and pick up another road win, but the Orange had other ideas. After a surprising 16-13 road win at Florida State to open the season, the Yellow Jackets have averaged just 20.5 PPG while allowing 43.0 PPG across the past two outings, going 0-2 SU/ATS. The 'over' has connected in each of the outings, mainly due to a lack of defense. That's now good when facing the likes of QB Micale Cunningham and WR Tutu Atwell, two guys who can hook up for a touchdown at any point. True freshman QB Jeff Sims looked sharp in the opener, but the Yellow Jackets new-look offense has averaging just 19.0 PPG through three games.

Virginia Tech at North Carolina (ABC, 12:00 p.m. ET)

Betting Odds: North Carolina -5, O/U 60

• Last Week: Virginia Tech W 38-31 at Duke (-11, 54)
• Last Week: North Carolina W 26-22 at Boston College (-14.5, 52.5)

The Hokies have rolled out to a 2-0 SU/1-1 ATS start, and they had a majority of their team back after missing 23 players for the N.C. State opener due to COVID-19. The Hokies are averaging a very healthy 41.5 PPG through the first two contests, but their defense has shown some chinks in the armor, too, coughing up 27.5 PPG. A lack of spring practices, camp and a rather strange beginning of the season has seen the defense start a little bit behind. The Hokies have been able to overcome against a couple of poor defenses, but now they'll face a rank Tar Heels team and it's time to step up, especially on the road.

The Tar Heels went to Chestnut Hill last week and won a hard-fought 26-22 game. The Eagles were actually going for a two-point conversion to try and tie things up in the final minute of regulation, but an interception return on the point after attempt netted them two points and the Tar Heels came home happy with the four-point thrilling win. It's a character builder, scratching out a tough game on the road, as Syracuse didn't give them much of a test in the opener. They topped the Orange 31-6 back on Sept. 12, and then COVID reared its ugly head, too, causing Charlotte to have to cancel their game, and all of a sudden the Heels had a three-week break. They showed a little rust early last week, but now they're back in top form.

North Carolina State at Virginia (ACC, 12:00 p.m. ET)

Betting Odds: Virginia -9.5, O/U 63.5

• Last Week: North Carolina State W 30-29 at Pittsburgh (+14, 46.5)
• Last Week: Virginia L 23-41 at Clemson (+28, 55.5)

The Wolfpack rolled up an impressive 30-29 road victory in Pittsburgh last week, and honestly it might have been a season saver. After a shaky 45-42 home win against Wake Forest on Sept. 19, they hit the road and were knocked around 45-24 by Virginia Tech as a 6.5-point underdog. The defense allowed 43.5 PPG in the first two games, so the fact they allowed just 29 points to the Panthers was actually quite surprising. Still, N.C. State is allowed 38.7 PPG, 461.0 total yards per game and 185.0 rushing yards per contest, so they'll need vast improvement on defense. Offensively they're fine, rolling up 258.7 yards per game through the air and 33.0 PPG, ranking 30th in the nation. As a result the 'over' is 3-0 for N.C. State to date. The Wolfpack have posted a 1-7 ATS mark in their previous eight against winning teams, and 1-8 ATS in the past nine on the road.

The Cavaliers rolled to a 38-20 win over Duke in the opener on Sept. 26 when they finally were able to make their debut. Their opener against Virginia Tech was pushed back due to COVID concerns. The Hoos hung tough with No. 1 Clemson last weekend in Death Valley, falling 41-23 while covering a 27.5-point number. Like N.C. State, the Cavaliers haven't had an 'under' result so far, allowing 30.5 PPG while scoring 30.5 PPG. UVA also has an impressive plus-4 turnover margin so far. UVA has cashed in each of their past four at home, while going an impressive 18-6 ATS in the past 24 against winning teams. The home team has connected in seven of the past nine meetings in this series.

Duke at Syracuse (ESPN3, 12:30 p.m.)

Betting Odds: Duke -2.5, O/U 51.5

• Last Week: Duke L 31-38 vs. Virginia Tech (+11, 54)
• Last Week: Syracuse W 37-20 vs. Syracuse (+7.5, 52)

The Blue Devils made a lot of friends last week with a field goal in the final seconds, covering for those who bet them early in the week. While Duke has failed to win in four games so far this season, they showed some signs of life against the Hokies, posting a season-high in points Of course, they also tied a season-worst with 38 points allowed for a second straight game. The Devils are 0-2 SU/1-1 ATS on the road this season, and they have coughed up at least 26 points in all four of their games.

The Orange stunned Georgia Tech last week as 7.5-point underdogs at home, winning for the first time in three games while covering for the second straight game. Now, they find themselves as home 'dogs yet again. After managing just 16 total points in their first two games, both on the road, they erupted for 37 points in their first game under the dome. Despite the win and cover, they're still just 2-5-2 ATS in the past nine at home against teams with a losing road record, and 0-4 ATS in the previous four following a straight up win.

Pittsburgh at Boston College (ACC, 4:00 p.m.)

Betting Odds: Pittsburgh -6, O/U 44

• Last Week: Pittsburgh L 29-30 vs. N.C. State (-14, 45.5)
• Last Week: Boston College L 22-26 vs. North Carolina (-14.5, 53)

The Panthers will be looking to bounce back after a stunning one-point loss at home against N.C. State last week, their first straight-up loss of the season. However, they are just 1-2-1 ATS in four outings, including 0-2-1 ATS against three FBS opponents. Despite the fact the Panthers allowed 29 point last week, they're still yielding just 232.3 total yards per game and 57.5 rushing yards per game, second in the nation in both categories. The Wolfpack did put a dent in Pitt's scoring average allowing, but they're still 11th overal with just 15.0 PPG. The Panthers also have an impressive plus-4 turnover rating. The Panthers are 7-3 ATS in their past 10 road games, while going 5-2 ATS in the previous seven against winning teams.

The Eagles are also looking to bounce back after suffering their first setback of the season. The Eagles easily covered a 14.5-point number against the nationally-ranked Tar Heels, but came up just short by a 26-22 count. QB Phil Jurkovec has looked like the real deal, passing for 823 yards, although he has just two passing touchdowns through three games. The 'under' has connected in all three games for Boston College so far, allowing just 17.7 PPG. B.C. has managed a 15-5-1 ATS mark in the past 21 as a 'dog, while going 20-6-1 ATS in their previous 27 ACC battles.

Miami-Florida at Clemson (ABC, 7:30 p.m.)

Betting Odds: Clemson -14, O/U 63.5

• Last Game: Miami W 52-10 vs. Florida State (-12, 54)
• Last Game: Clemson W 41-23 vs. Virginia (-27.5, 56)

The Hurricanes are looking pretty sharp, going 3-0 SU/ATS, but this will be a huge measuring stick game for QB D'Eriq King and Miami. Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has installed the spread offense for the first time in school history, and it's looking like a winning recipe so far. The Canes are averaging 498.0 total yards per game, ranking 12th in the nation, while posting 43.3 PPG to check in seventh overall. The defense isn't quite like 'The U in the 80's', but they have allowed just 19.3 PPG through three outings. The latter figures to be put to the test against Tigers QB Trevor Lawrence in Death Valley.

The Tigers are off to another great start, although they are 0-3 ATS. They have been favored by 27 or more points in each of their games, and they have taken their foot off the gas in the second half while hardly getting a test. The Hurricanes are likely to provide their first real adversity of the season, although it's uncertain how long it will last. Clemson is averaging 42.3 PPG on offense, ranking eighth in the country, and they're 14th in the country with 316.0 passing yards per game. If the Tigers wish to make the playoffs and make another run for a national title, they need signature wins, and this could be their first of the season.

Florida State at Notre Dame (NBC, 7:30 p.m.)

Betting Odds: Notre Dame -21, O/U 52

• Last Week: Florida State W 41-24 vs. Jacksonville State (-27.5, 52.5)
• Last Game: Notre Dame W 52-0 vs. South Florida (-23.5, 49)

The Seminoles picked up their first win over FCS Jacksonville State last week, but that's not saying a lot. The score looks impressive, but they didn't really start pulling away from the Gamecocks until well into the second half, and JSU was actually winning for a little bit. FSU is averaging just 389.3 total yards per game to rank 50th, 215.0 passing yards to rank 49th and 21.3 PPG to check in 57th in the country. They need to get better offensively, and they need to get better in a hurry. They're 1-2 SU/0-3 ATS, and the defense coughed up 52 points in their only road game so far this season in Miami. FSU is just 6-17-3 ATS in the past 26 against winning teams, and 1-5-1 ATS in the past seven as a 'dog.

Notre Dame hasn't played since Sept. 19 after a COVID-19 cluster on the team, so they could be a little bit rusty. It's a good thing they have the struggling Seminoles visiting their building this week. One unit which hasn't struggled for the Irish is defense, as they pitched a shutout against South Florida last time out, and they have yielded just 13 total points overall with 282.5 total yards per game allowed, ranking 11th in the country. The Irish have really relished their role as favorites lately, going 6-1 ATS as a fave, and 5-1 ATS in the past six against losing teams. They have also covered eight of the past 11 in the shadows of Touchdown Jesus.

ACC Betting Results - 2020

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