- Cal has +3500 odds to win the ACC.
- Tosh Lupoi was hired as the next Cal head coach.
- Cal has the third-best transfer portal class in the conference.
BERKELEY, Calif. – Preseason college football bettors have been put on notice, this Cal Golden Bears squad is hitting different this season and is a sleeping giant in the ACC.
Despite the recent preseason hype, college football prop betting sites have not budged and remain further from the top of the odds board on Cal to win the ACC with +3500 odds.
ACC Championship Odds 2026
- Miami Florida-140
- SMU +700
- Louisville +1000
- Clemson +1600
- Pittsburgh +1700
- Virginia +1800
- NC State +2200
- Virginia Tech +2200
- California +3500
- Georgia Tech +3500
- Florida State +4000
- Duke +6500
Why The Hype?
While a 7-6 finish last season doesn’t seem like much on paper, it is the quarterback play from Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele as a true freshman that gets people excited. JKS went for 3,454 yards and 22 total touchdowns last season. His yard total was 18th in the nation in his first year as a starter.
While JKS is the main hype, it’s the surrounding cast on offense that should have bettors at California prop betting sites foaming at the mouth to get in on their odds. Cal brought in the third-ranked transfer portal class in the conference, highlighted by 4-Star transfer receivers Chase Hendricks (Ohio) and Ian Strong (Rutgers). Strong went for 762 yards and five TDs in 2025, while Hendricks went for 1,037 yards and seven TDs.
In total, the offense gained four 4-Star transfers, including tight end Dorian Thomas and running back Adam Mohammed as well. Mohammad is a former 4-Star prospect out of high school and coming off a 523 yard/5 TD season for Washington last season. With former RB1 Kendrick Raphael transferring to SMU, he’ll slide right into that starting job this season.
Tosh Lupoi Defensive Intensity
Tosh Lupoi was hired as the new head coach in Berkeley, giving this team a defensive edge. The former Oregon defensive coordinator got to work with 13 new transfers on that side of the ball, including safety Kingston Lopa, defensive tackle Jericho Johnson, and linebacker Kamar Mothudi. All transfers from last year's Oregon team that ranked top-5 on defense last season.
Cal will hit the ground running next season with a rivalry game at home against UCLA to finish the Week 1 Saturday slate of games.
