Clemson a Heavy -700 Favorite in Opening ACC Championship Odds; Can Any Team Unseat the Tigers?

• Clemson opens as heavy favorites to win the 2020 ACC Championship at -700
• Former Houston QB D’Eriq King transferred to Miami in January, the Hurricanes are listed at +750
• Read  our prediction on if any team can upset the Clemson Tigers this season

The Clemson Tigers have dominated the ACC recently, and that narrative does not appear likely to change. With the tandem of Dabo Swinney and Trevor Lawrence leading the charge for the Tigers, it does not seem like there will be much competition within their conference.

In the Conference Championship odds, the Tigers have opened as massive favorites at -700. Miami has the second-best odds at +750, which is quite the jump considering the season has not even started yet.

Do any teams in the ACC pose a threat to Clemson? Let’s take a look at some of the more competitive teams that can give the Tigers a run for their money.

Odds to win 2020 ACC Championship

Odds taken March 28th.

Can any ACC Team Dethrone Clemson?

Clemson had a near-perfect 2019 season, before suffering their lone loss of the season to LSU in the National Championship. With their star-studded offense, the Tigers broke their school-record, scoring 659 points last season.

Look out for another booming offensive attack with the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, and Justyn Ross all returning for another season.

Yes, the Tigers will be missing Lawrence’s favorite wideout Tee Higgins, as he moves onto the NFL, but having Etienne return is a huge bonus. He has cemented himself in the Clemson history books as their all-time leading rusher and the school’s first-ever 4,000-yard rusher.

The junior running back out of Jennings, Louisiana also holds ACC records for career rushing touchdowns and career total touchdowns.

Most explosive player in college football: Travis Etienne.#CFBPlayoff || #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/6LT5XxSV91

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) December 29, 2019

The Tigers will be losing four of their five starters on the offensive line but will be easily replaced by redshirt junior Matt Brockhurst, redshirt sophomore Jordan McFadden, and fifth-year senior Cade Stewart.

With the number one ranked recruiting class in the ACC, the Tigers will be able to withstand their losses on the defensive end. Leading their top-ranked recruiting class is the number one ranked player in the country, defensive tackle Bryan Breese. Following in Breese’s footsteps are two other five-star recruits, defensive end Myles Murphy and outside linebacker Trenton Simpson.

The Tigers could be an even better team than they were a year ago, which is a scary thought for any other team in the ACC.

Miami or North Carolina?

With the addition of former Houston quarterback D’Eriq King, Miami is slotted as the ACC’s next best team. Unlike Miami, North Carolina is returning a familiar face at quarterback who exceeded expectations in year one with the Tar Heels.

Sam Howell, a freshman All-American, has the experience and confidence of playing under offensive coordinator Phil Longo and is ready for year two.

Longo praised his quarterback last season for practicing and playing like he had two or three guys behind him gunning for his job. Howell will have a new, shiny toy to play with in his sophomore season. The Tar Heels recruited four-star wideout Josh Downs, who will look to make an immediate impact on offense. Not to mention, Howell will have 14 returning receivers he has already built chemistry with.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Tar Heels are adding two four-star recruits. Kedrick Bingley-Jones, a 6’5″, 265-pound defensive lineman who should be able to add a level of skill to a line that lost two key starters.

North Carolina’s secondary was weak in 2019, but with the addition of Cameron Roseman-Sinclair at safety and returning defensive backs, this could turn out to be their deepest position.

Kedrick Bingley-Jones is UNC’s:

-2nd highest rated recruit
-3rd top-10 prospect from NC
-4th ESPN300 commitment
-11th overall commit from NC
-22nd verbal commit

Mack has only been on the job for 250 days.

— Jake Lawrence (@TheRealestRJL) August 3, 2019

Miami added a boatload of offensive talent to surround King on the offensive side of the ball. Two four-star running backs in Jaylan Knighton and Don Chaney Jr, and one four-star receiver from IMG Academy, Michael Redding III. All these recruits have the potential to make an immediate impact.

Miami could have one of the more exciting offenses in the conference, but I would still give the edge to North Carolina at this point. The most exciting part of the offseason surrounding the Hurricanes is, what will they do with Tate Martell?

the party was just getting started.. pic.twitter.com/Hm1DDZb6rL

— TATE MARTELL (@TheTateMartell) March 23, 2020

Best Bet

Clemson has the most dominant team by a landslide in the ACC. Louisville and Virginia could pose as solid long shot picks with their odds right now, but ultimately these teams will not threaten Clemson’s chances enough.

Sam Howell and North Carolina have the best chance at upsetting the Tigers, in my opinion. They only lost five players on the offensive side of the ball, and they did a great job recruiting to fill needed holes.

Mack Brown won a National Championship with Texas in 2005, and I believe with his deep coaching experience and recruiting ability he could lead this Tar Heel squad to achieve really great things.

This is more of a value pick than anything because it will take a lot to take down The Tigers. That being said, there’s no need in dropping a big number on Clemson because there is zero value at -700. Roll with North Carolina on a small underdog play for the ACC Championship.

Best Bet: North Carolina (+1000)