ESPN Betting Expert Gives Cal Football a 5.5 Over-Under Win Total

The Bears are listed as 100-to-1 to win the ACC title, 2000-to-1 to win the CFP national crown

Jaydn Ott / Henrietta Wildsmith/The Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

ESPN betting expert Joe Fortenbaugh puts Cal football’s over-under win total at 5.5 for its inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Bears are listed by ESPN as 100-to-1 to win the ACC championship and are 2000-to-1 longshots to capture the College Football Playoff title.

Curiously, Fortenbaugh’s projects rivals Stanford as having much longer odds (500-to-1) of winning the ACC crown but shorter odds (1000-to-1) in pursuit of the CFP championship.

Cal was 6-7 in its final year in the Pac-12, losing 34-14 to Texas Tech at the Independence Bowl.

Florida State, which was 13-1 last season and left out of the four-team CFP, is given a 9.5 over-under win total. The Seminoles are plus-275 to win the ACC title and 30-to-1 for the national crown — both best in the ACC.

The CFP field has been expanded to 12 teams this season.

Miami and Clemson also were give 9.5 over-under totals while North Carolina State, Louisville, Virginia and ACC newcomer SMU all are listed at 8.5.

The USA Today preseason coaches poll was released Monday with four ACC teams in the Top-25: Florida State at No. 10, Clemson at No. 14, Miami at No. 19 and North Carolina State at No. 22.

Georgia secured 46 of 55 first-place votes and sits atop the coaches poll, followed by Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and Alabama.

Cal opens its schedule vs. UC Davis at home on Aug. 31. The Bears play their first ACC game at Florida State on Sept. 21.