There really isn’t a clear cut favorite to win the AAC this year.
College football betting odds currently list Memphis as the favorite at +225, followed by Tulane (+400) and UTSA (+450). South Florida’s betting odds aren’t much longer, as it’s at +650 to win the league. East Carolina and Rice both sit at +1600 followed by FAU (+2200), Navy, UAB and Army (+2500), Tulsa (+4000), Charlotte (+5000), and Temple (+12500).
There’s a little more of a cushion at the top compared to last year’s preseason odds where five teams had odds of 7/1 or shorter. SMU won the title and was 4/1 entering the year.
It’s always easy to put money on one of the favorites, but it might not always be the most fun. But what might be the most fun may not be the smartest. Regardless of your method, there’s no doubt you can always take the value when it presents itself.
USF Provides Best Value To Win AAC Championship
The Bulls are on the come up.
At least, that’s what the college football world is anticipating. There’s been hardly any movement within the conference title odds from when they dropped. That includes just a slight move for USF from +650 to +600. This could mean there are some bettors out there who have faith in the Bulls.
USF’s conference slate could certainly be more difficult than it is, but their championship aspirations will likely be determined between Weeks 5-7 when they visit Tulane in Week 5 and host Memphis in Week 7. The Bulls have a bye week in between these two outings, and it’s probably the most ideal spot for the bye on their schedule.
The Bulls return 18 starters from last season and have a dynamic offense that they will need to step up if they want to compete with Memphis as well as a decent defense that should hold its own against Tulane, UTSA, and the rest of the league. There’s a lot of good energy surrounding the program coming off a 7-6 season and a 45-0 thrashing over Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl. I expect that energy to carry into the fall.
Two years removed from a 1-11 season, it’s hard to believe we’re discussing USF competing for a conference title. It’s a testament to head coach Alex Golesh and how quickly he’s been able to turn the program around. The Bulls were inconsistent last season, losing to Alabama just 17-3 but also getting drubbed 56-14 to an FAU team that was underwhelming.
While Memphis has a potential Heisman candidate in Seth Henigan, and Tulane and UTSA will still very much be in the mix, the Bulls don’t only provide the best value, but they’ll probably be the squad that is the most fun to root for.
Other Things Of Note From AAC Championship Odds
There is a steep drop off in the odds after the top four favorites. I don’t think there’s really any shot ECU or Rice compete for a title, and their odds could maybe be even longer than +1600. It’s also worth noting that every team outside of Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, and USF had losing seasons last year, except for Army’s 6-6 record, but they weren’t a league member yet.
Keep an eye on UTSA if its odds get a little longer as the season approaches. I would say getting UTSA at +500 or longer would be worth taking a look at.
