AAC Dark Horses: Which Teams Offer Best Betting Value?
- There will be no repeat AAC champion this season and those outside the four lowest college football odds have a chance to make an impact.
- Longshot candidate Rice outscored opponents 128-61 in the first quarter last season.
- See AAC odds and predictions below.
Memphis is the favorite in our NCAA football odds to win the American Athletic crown this season, but the race appears to be wide open with a host of longshots that could surprise.
Memphis is +220 to win the conference with last year’s runner-up Tulane (+350), UTSA (+500), and South Florida (+600) all in the fight to take SMU’s title. The Mustangs moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
There are several teams with odds of over +1000 that could put together a run to make you money and it depends a lot on quarterback play. Rice, Florida Atlantic, and East Carolina all boast transfer QBs that could make them a major factor in the AAC while Jacob Zeno returned to UAB instead of opting for the transfer portal after throwing for 3,126 yards last season.
It will be a difficult college football prediction to see which team or teams join the top four.
Kurt Warner’s Kid Makes Rice a Good Pick to Win Conference
E.J. Warner, the son of former NFL MVP and Super Bowl champ Kurt Warner, led the AAC in passing yards per game for Temple a season ago. This year, he’ll try to repeat the feat with Rice.
Warner threw for 307.6 yards per contest with the other Owls in 2023 and he should help Rice compete with the top dogs in the league. He’ll have a potential 1,000-yard rusher behind him as well in Dean Connors.
Bloomgren had plenty of good things to say about transfer QB EJ Warner, who took his first reps with @RiceFootball today.
“We live in a world of fractional seconds,” Bloomgren said. “And he is so good at seeing things pre-snap.” pic.twitter.com/K2paCZBSWi
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) March 5, 2024
The Owls outscored opponents 128-61 in the first quarter last season, but coach Mike Bloomgren’s team got steadily worse as the game went on. Rice defended well in the red zone last season and should have a decent secondary.
Rice will be a decent college football bet all season if the Owls can take care of the ball. The Owls turned the ball over 25 times in 2023. They are +1200 to win the conference.
Florida Atlantic Good Underdog Bet for NCAA Parlay Bets
Tom Herman went 54-22 at Houston and Texas before starting his tenure at Florida Atlantic with a 4-8 campaign.
FAU has to be better than its +2500 odds to win the AAC in 2024. The Owls are still rebuilding a bit, but transfers could help the offense improve from 11th in the conference in yards per game with Marshall transfer Cam Fancher at QB. Fancher threw for 2,162 yards in 2023.
FBS team of the day.
FAU OWLS
– Tom Herman entering second season now looking to build
– Cam Fancher looks to rebuild the offense
– Solid defensive group coming in thru the portal
– A good group of players signed & a big potential pickup todayFAU looks to improve in 2024 🦉 pic.twitter.com/1ouflsS5Pz
— College Football Daily (@FBSCFBnews) February 7, 2024
Florida State transfer CJ Campbell could help a rushing attack and transfer receivers Marlyn Johnson and Milan Tucker should aid Fancher, who struggled with interceptions (11) in 2023.
Linebacker Jackson Ambush not only has a great name for defense, he should lead that unit for FAU. It may be a stretch that the Owls become a favorite in our NCAA betting lines later in the season, but don’t count them out.
AAC Dark Horse to Watch: East Carolina
East Carolina took a big step backward last season with two wins after totaling 15 in the previous two seasons.
The Pirates weren’t bad on defense, allowing the second-least yards per game in the conference, but the offense was the worst in the AAC. The transfer portal may change that for coach Mike Houston, whose team is +1800 to win the conference.
Quarterbacks Jake Garcia (Missouri) and Katin Houser (Michigan State) will battle for the No. 1 job. Garcia did not play last season after appearing in nine games over two years at Miami (Fla.) and Houser threw for more than 1,000 yards for the Spartans.
🚨ECU QB COMPETITION UPDATE🚨Mike Houston gives his thoughts on both Katin Houser & Jake Garcia 🏴☠️
Full Episode: https://t.co/355Gpeo1zm pic.twitter.com/DtyvGotEeo
— The Holton Ahlers Show (@HoltAhlersShow) June 27, 2024
You will get good odds at the sportsbook on the Pirates all season. Take them.
Take A Look At These Other 2 NCAAF Special Articles
- Florida Among College Football Dogs to Love in Week 1 Odds.
- Florida State CFP Odds Hinge on Matchups vs Clemson, Notre Dame.
Big NCAA Football News On UAB’s Jacob Zeno
Jacob Zeno was expected to test the NCAA portal after throwing for 3,126 yards and 20 scores to lead UAB (4-8) in 2023.
Zeno stayed put and should make the Blazers valuable in your sports betting this fall. Former Super Bowl-winning QB Trent Dilfer begins his second season hoping to improve the defense, which gave up 36.9 points per game.
“The biggest win in the history of the program.” – @DilfersDimes
Keeping star QB Jacob Zeno for another year at UAB is a massive win for Trent Dilfer.
So how did he do it?
How did @UAB_FB beat out Power 5 programs with deeper pockets?
By offering something far more valuable… pic.twitter.com/w9HCifLp4H
— Next Up with Adam Breneman (@NextUpWithAdam) December 26, 2023
Amare Thomas (53 receptions, three TDs) leads Zeno’s receivers. UAB is a juicy +3000 to win the conference. Not bad.
North Texas (+2200) and Tulsa (+4500) can’t be looked past either and it’s never easy to beat Army (+2500) and Navy (+3500). Charlotte (+5000) and Temple (+12500) are the longest shots on the board if you’re feeling lucky.
Questions of the Day
What returning AAC team won the most games last season?
Tulane. The Green Wave went 11-3.
Which team led the league in passing yards per contest in 2023?
Memphis. The Tigers were first (306.5) and North Texas second (304.7).
