Bet on these college football win totals ahead of the 2024 season

Amid widespread changes in the college football landscape, the three teams under new leadership are most likely to win total in 2024.

All three teams, all under first-year head coaches, have what it takes to advance and have favorable odds to do so.

Duke, 5.5 +150 (BetMGM)

Duke basketball’s success contrasts with Duke football’s inconsistency: With Manny Diaz taking over in 2024, the football Blue Devils have had more head coaches since 2021 than the hardwood Blue Devils The team has had more head coaches since 1980.

Mike Elko had a short but successful tour before committing to Texas A&M, totaling 17 wins in 2022 and 2023. This is the second time in three seasons that the team has won more than eight games. Oddsmakers don’t like his chances: FanDuel and DraftKings each offer Duke odds of +140, eclipsing 5.5 wins, while BetMGM offers odds of +150. Caesars Sportsbook is offering +115 for wins over five.

But Diaz is a defensive-minded coach who led Penn State to an average of 13.5 points per game in 2023, and he inherited a Duke defense that allowed just 19 points per game last season. Linebacker Tre Freeman returns after making 106 tackles last season, and he’s joined by FCS All-American Ozzie Nicholas from Princeton. Cornerback Chandler Rivers and safety Terry Moore have All-ACC potential in the secondary.

A visit to Northwestern in Week 2 could make the difference, as Duke will host rival North Carolina on Sept. 28 with a chance to move to the heart of the conference schedule at 5-0.

James Madison, 8.5 wins, +135 (BetMGM)

In just its second season in FBS play, James Madison is grabbing national attention with a 10-0 start to 2023. , but Duke still reached 11 points to win for the fifth time since 2016.

More importantly, the long-term Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse program has proven its brand of football can translate to the FBS and Sun Belt Conference. First-year Duke coach Bob Chesney received a similar opportunity from Holy Cross College.

Chesney coached the Crusaders to four straight playoff appearances. Over the past two seasons, Holy Cross has averaged about 37 points per game, matching the 34.1 points JMU averaged last season.

Chesney also continues at least one area where JMU has thrived under Signetti: finding veteran playmakers through the transfer portal.

A group of experienced newcomers fills out Duke’s roster, including Holy Cross All-American linebacker Jacob Dobbs and former Washington Huskies starting quarterback Dylan Morris.

The faces may be new, but the results should be familiar. Duke is expected to be in contention for the Sun Belt title and the double-digit victory threshold when the regular season ends at Appalachian State and takes on Marshall.

Washington, 6.5 wins +112 (BetRivers)

First-year Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch inherits a team that was arguably the worst in the power conference when he was hired to Arizona.

By his third year, the well-traveled Fish led the Wildcats to one of the best seasons in franchise history. Arizona State went 11-3 in the Alamo Bowl last season, beating Oklahoma State.

Fish takes over for Nick Saban at Alabama’s position vacated by Kalen DeBoer as head coach of national runner-up Washington State in the 2024 College Football Playoff. Despite the departures of big-name players on the Huskies’ 2023 roster, Fisch is in a significantly better position in Year 1 than he was a year ago. Fish and his staff made some key transfers from Tucson to Seattle, including two-way running back and receiving threat in running back Jonah Coleman.

Washington’s big-name transfer arrives from SEC Nation: Quarterback Will Rogers, a four-year starter at Mississippi State who arrived in Montlake with 12,315 passing yards and 94 touchdowns. If Fish and passing game coordinator Jimmy Dougherty can create the same magic they did last season with Noah Fifita in Arizona, Rodgers could immediately establish himself as one of the Big Ten’s top quarterbacks.

Washington’s biggest obstacle to seven or more wins is the division change.

In a short turnaround, the Big Ten arranged a cross-country trek to Rutgers, a visit to conference champion darkhorse Iowa a week after a rematch with national champion Michigan and a road trip to Penn State, a pair of Wisconsin Nothing good comes of it.

The first month was manageable.

Sweeping a non-conference slate that includes rival Washington State, followed by wins over Northwestern and Rutgers to open Big Ten play should make bettors feel confident come October.