ACC Football Week 5: Previews, Picks, Odds, and TV Info
Conference play is now in full swing — every matchup except for one this week pits an ACC foe against one another. Miami is the only ACC school not in action, as they take some time to regroup after a tough loss to Middle Tennessee. Let’s preview and pick each matchup for week five:
READ: Wake Forest vs Florida State: A History
Saturday
Louisville (2-2) at Boston College (1-3)
Spread: Louisville -14.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Louisville (-575), BC (+480)
Total: 51.5
Time/Channel: Noon ET, ACCN
Louisville might be better than their record, as their two losses this season have come against undefeated ACC teams (Syracuse and Florida State). After an up-and-down start, it appears the Cardinals are starting to roll. QB Malik Cunningham shined last week in a 41-3 victory over South Florida , throwing for 186 yards and a touchdown, in addition to rushing the ball nine times for 113 yards and three scores. This performance came against a USF team that had come within a field goal of upsetting top-ranked Florida just a week prior.
A pre-season vote-getter for ACC Player of the Year, Cunningham is the most dynamic player on the field against almost every opponent, and his supporting cast is doing enough to make Louisville a worthy ACC competitor.
2022 has been rough so far up in Massachusetts. After blowing a late fourth-quarter lead against Rutgers in week one, things have only gotten worse. Outside of a win against 0-3 FCS opponent Maine, the Eagles simply haven’t been competitive. In addition, BC announced this weekthat senior defensive end Shitta Sillah needs shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of the season. Expectations were higher this season for senior QB Phil Jurkovec and Boston College football, but it’s been a struggle in every area of the game for the Eagles this season.
The Pick: Louisville -14.5, over 51.5
No one should be surprised to see Louisville as double-digit favorites here. Both teams have lost to Florida State, but while Louisville lost by only four points, BC got demolished last Saturday 44-14. The Cardinals are figuring things out, and I don’t see any scenario where Boston College slows down Cunningham and the Louisville offense.
Virginia Tech (2-2) at North Carolina (3-1)
Spread: UNC -8.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Virginia Tech (+275), UNC (-315)
Total: 52.5
Time/Channel: 3:30 ET, ACCN
Last week was a disappointment for Mack Brown’s UNC Tar Heels. Favored against a struggling Notre Dame offense, North Carolina gave up 45 points — almost as many points as Notre Dame had scored the entire season (55). There’s no questioning the ability of QB Drake Maye and the explosive Tar Heel offense, but this team has shown many flaws so far.
Playing on a Thursday, Virginia Tech had a short week of preparation for their last game, and the lack of preparation showed in a 33-10 loss against a talented West Virginia squad. The game was close until the third quarter, but penalties hurt the Hokies, and they were outscored 17-0 in the final frame. Interceptions are the key for junior QB Grant Wells — Virginia Tech has lost each game where Wells has turned the ball over. When the Hokies take care of the ball, they have been a tough team to beat.
The Pick: Virginia Tech +8.5
The first of many games likely to be impacted by the weather this weekend, I like Virginia Tech to keep this one close. UNC hasn’t been able to stop anyone all season, and the rain expected to sweep through the Carolinas should help the Hokies slow down Maye and the Tar Heel offense. Expect this one to come down to a few key plays in the last few minutes.
22 Wake Forest (3-1) at 23 Florida State (4-0)
Spread: Florida State -6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Wake Forest (+215), Florida State (-240)
Total: 64
Time/Channel: 3:30 ET, ABC
Click here to read our staff’s predictions for this one.
Wagner (0-3) at Syracuse (4-0)
Spread: Syracuse -52.5 (-110)
Moneyline: N/A
Total: 59.5
Time/Channel: 5 ET,ACCNX
The surprise of the ACC, Syracuse has been fairly spectacular to begin 2022. Already 2-0 in the ACC, the Orange survived a tough game with Virginia last Saturday, winning on kicker Andre Szmyt’s fifth field goal of the day with 1:14 left in the game.
After a competitive first four games of the year, Syracuse takes on lowly 0-3 FCS opponent Wagner. There isn’t even a line for this game, as the Orange are incredible favorites. Something to watch out for– Syracuse plays Wagner this week and has a bye the following Saturday. Will head coach Dino Babers use the rest and time-off effectively? Or will Syracuse lose their edge as they head into the teeth of a difficult conference schedule? There is plenty of intrigue around this Syracuse football team in 2022– which is on a brief hiatus with the upcoming opponent.
The Pick: Syracuse -52.5
Apologies to Wagner, but this just isn’t a fair fight. Syracuse should stay undefeated and win this one by a landslide.
No. 10 NC State (4-0) at 5 Clemson (4-0)
Spread: Clemson -7 (-110)
Moneyline: NC State (+230), Clemson (-295)
Total: 42.5
Time/Channel: 7:30 ET, ABC
College Gameday is back in Death Valley. NC State avoided the trap game last week and rolled to a 41-10 win against UConn. However, questions remain about the Wolfpack offense and senior QB Devin Leary. Last week was the first time in 2022 that preseason ACC Player of the Year Leary threw for over 250 yards.
While it hasn’t always been pretty, there is certainly something to be said for being 4-0 and N0. 10 in the AP poll. It’s impressive that NC State has gotten to this point without playing their best football.
Wake fans are well aware of how Clemson performed in week four. DJ Uiagalelei was spectacular, and the defense was just strong enough at the end of the game to secure a victory. The fighting Dabos are no stranger to tough competition, and the road ahead doesn’t get any easier now that Clemson has defeated last season’s ACC Atlantic champions. A lot of eyes are on the health of the Clemson secondary moving forward, as they were missing a few key pieces against the Deacs.
The Pick: NC State +7
Hurricane Ian might make this game pretty ugly. However, unless Leary becomes Tom Brady, I don’t think the Wolfpack have enough talent to pull off the upset. That being said, Wake Forest showed last week that this Clemson team is far from perfect– I’m predicting the final score will be closer than a touchdown.
Virginia (2-2) at Duke (3-1)
Spread: Duke -2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Virginia (+107), Duke (-130)
Total: 51.5
Time/Channel: 7:30 ET, ESPN3
Virginia was so close to upsetting Syracuse last week and changing the narrative around their entire season. A terrible road loss to Illinois aside, the Cavaliers showed again last Saturday that they are a competitive ballclub, especially on the defensive side. No team has scored more than 24 points against Virginia all season. Surprisingly, the problem for the Cavaliers is QB Brennan Armstrong and the offense. Armstrong had a strong 2021 season before injuries derailed his campaign, and no one is exactly sure why the talent has yet to mesh with head coach Tony Eiilot’s new system.
In the battle of basketball blue bloods last Saturday, Duke fell 35-27 to Big 12 leaders Kansas. Despite the loss, the Blue Devils are riding high, with a 3-1 start for the first time since 2018. QB Riley Leonard had another great game, and has now thrown for over 1,000 yards on the season. Clearly a talented squad, head coach Mike Elko has Duke playing inspired football. As ACC play begins, we’ll see if the Blue Devils can keep the momentum rolling.
The Pick: Virginia ML
In this battle of first-year head coaches, the Cavaliers are my upset pick of the week. Duke started the year strong and was quite competitive against Kansas, but I think there is more up-and-down on the horizon in Durham this season. Outside of one lopsided loss, Virginia has played a lot of close games in 2022. I think Brennan Armstrong is ready to prove the critics wrong, and in another weather-affected battle, Virginia will sneak out a victory.
Georgia Tech (1-3) at 24 Pittsburgh (3-1)
Spread: Pitt -22 (-110)
Moneyline: Georgia Tech (+1050), Pittsburgh (-2500)
Total: 48.5
Time/Channel: 8 ET, ACCN
Following a 27-10 loss against UCF last Saturday, Georgia Tech fired head coach Geoff Collins and athletic director Todd Stansbury. Against three FBS opponents this season, the Yellow Jackets have scored 20 points. To be fair to Collins, those opponents are a combined 11-1 to begin the season. However, there are clear issues with Georgia Tech’s ability to move the ball on offense. I don’t think anyone knows exactly what to expect out of this team the rest of the season, but it’s quite possible they lose every game the rest of the way.
Pitt is one overtime away from being undefeated. Life after Kenny Pickett hasn’t been perfect, but the Panthers are playing solid football. One of the reasons for Pitt’s continued success is the run game. In a 45-24 win last week, the shining star was running back Israel Abanikanda. Abanikanda ran for 177 yards and four touchdowns, averaging almost 10 yards per carry. Although they have fallen to No. 24 in the AP rankings, Pitt remains the favorite to win the final edition of ACC Coastal chaos.
The Pick: Pitt -22
Poor Georgia Tech. It’s hard enough to travel to Pittsburgh to take on this talented Panthers team. But with an interim head coach? This game has all the makings of a blowout — I’m surprised this number isn’t higher.
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