Duke’s Path to the ACC Title Isn’t Over Yet

The Duke Blue Devils were well-positioned to win the ACC heading into last weekend, but the loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets put a dent in those chances.

The result pushed the Blue Devils down to third place in the conference and tied with Pittsburgh. It's not the end of the world, but certainly not ideal for a team with high expectations this season.

With that in mind, what are Duke's chances of recouping and finding a way to win the ACC with six weeks left in the regular season?

Current Odds to win the ACC

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10), linebacker Kyle Efford (44), tight end Josh Beetham (17), and wide receiver Debron Gatling (6) walk out for the coin toss before the first half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The odds have fluctuated every week, but Fox Sports has the updated odds for teams to win the ACC Championship.

According to Fox Sports, Duke has the sixth-highest odds at 1500 to win the conference championship, which it must qualify for by finishing as one of the top two teams at the conclusion of the regular season.

Aug 28, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) goes to throw the ball against the Elon Phoenix during the first half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | James Guillory-Imagn Images

Currently, Georgia Tech is favored to win the ACC Championship at +220. The Miami Hurricanes (+270), Virginia Cavaliers (+450), Louisville Cardinals (+550), and SMU Mustangs (+750) all subsequently fall in line behind the Yellow Jackets.

Translation: The sportsbooks do not believe that the Blue Devils will recover from their loss to Georgia Tech. However, there are still plenty of games remaining for Duke to make up ground.

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on during the warmups of the game against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Important Factors

There are several factors that will play a role in configuring the standings from now until the end of the season.

Those include schedules, injuries, and performances among the top contending teams in this conference.

Oct 4, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) and tight end Jeremiah Hasley (85) celebrate Sheppard’s touchdown run against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

With all due respect, the teams Duke has to worry about are Georgia Tech - who are currently 4-0 in the ACC - Miami - who has only played in two conference games this season - Virginia - 3-0 in conference play and has one of the easiest schedules remaining - SMU - who are also 3-0 in ACC play, are coming off a comfortable win over Clemson this past weekend, and Louisville - coming off a 24-21 victory against Miami on the road, forcing four interceptions by quarterback Carson Beck.

Oct 17, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck (11) throws the football against the Louisville Cardinals during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, Duke cannot afford to lose another game this season, especially with Virginia still on the schedule next month.

The Blue Devils obviously need assistance from some of the bottom-feeders in the ACC, but ultimately, if Duke string off multiple wins in a row, it will not matter how the rest of the conference transpires.

As always, make sure you stay up to date with all Duke content by following us on Facebook, by clicking HERE and following us on X (formerly Twitter) HERE