The Duke football program put together its most dominant outing of the 2025 season so far, destroying Syracuse on the road 38-3. Quarterback Darian Mensah threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns, and the Blue Devils' ACC Championship window is opening more and more by the week. Duke now sits at the top of the conference standings at 2-0, one of three ACC squads that are 2-0 to begin conference play. The betting markets still don't view the Blue Devils as a major threat, despite their back-to-back victories. However, with an easier conference schedule than many other teams, Duke is now a legitimate contender for the ACC crown.
Duke still disrespected by betting markets despite 2-0 start to ACC play
Although the Blue Devils are now at the top of the conference standings, the betting markets still don't seem to be bought in. Now at 3-2 on the season, FanDuel gives Duke +1400 odds to win the ACC Championship, good for the sixth-best.
ACC Championship Game Winner odds per FanDuel
Miami: -115
Georgia Tech: +460
Louisville: +950
Florida State: +1200
Virginia: +1300
Duke: +1400
Moving forward, the Blue Devils have a few must-win matchups, but most of the remaining contests on the slate are games Duke should win. Manny Diaz and his squad only have to face two teams ranked in the top seven of the ACC Preseason Media Poll: at home against Georgia Tech and on the road at Clemson. With Clemson looking like the biggest disappointment in all of college football this season, it's not out of the realm of possibility for Duke to win out for the remainder of the campaign.
The Blue Devils remain on the road this week, taking on California in another winnable game. Assuming Duke takes down the Golden Bears, it will then host No. 16 Georgia Tech in what will likely be the most important game of the entire season. Before the year started, it felt like Duke's Week Two date with Illinois decided the ceiling. However, with where we are now, taking down a ranked Yellow Jackets squad at home will have major implications for the rest of the season.