Best Year-Over-Year ACC Team Improvements

While the Boston College Eagles’ win total only climbed by one from last year’s 6-6 regular season to this year’s 7-5 campaign in head coach Bill O’Brien’s first season on Chestnut Hill, the ACC program did manage to finish with the third largest year-over-year improvement in the league.

Based on a handful of metrics that BetMassachusetts.com used, we determined that the Eagles’ year-over-year improvement ranked third overall in the ACC, ranking behind the Syracuse Orange and Miami Hurricanes in the newly expanded conference.

Now, O’Brien and company are tasked with winning the program’s second straight bowl game when BC faces off against Nebraska in the Pinstripe Bowl inside Yankee Stadium on Dec. 28, with oddsmakers from Bet365 Massachusetts listing the Eagles as a 2.5-point underdog in the contest.

The regular season has ended. As we head into bowl season and the College Football Playoff, BetMassachusetts.com - your home for Massachusetts sports betting - wanted to see which teams in the ACC had the best year-over-year improvement. Using Sports-Reference.com, we pulled the in conference winning percentage and Simple Rating System (SRS), which takes average point differential and strength of schedule into account, for each team in the current ACC from last season and this season. We then ranked the teams based on greatest improvement within the conference based on average ranking for both data points.

Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses

Massachusetts bettors must be 21+ and present to place wagers in the state. Gambling problem in Massachusetts? Play it smart from the start! GamesenseMA.com or Call 1-800-327-5050 to speak with a trained specialist free and confidentially 24/7. Full Terms apply

Best YoY ACC Improvement

Rank	Team	Avg. Rank
1	Syracuse Orange	1
2	Miami Hurricanes	3
3	Boston College	3.5
T-4	Pitt Panthers	4
T-4	Clemson Tigers	4
T-6	SMU Mustangs	6
T-6	Virginia Cavaliers	6
8	Wake Forest Demon Deacons	8
9	Virginia Tech Hokies	9
10	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	9.5

Improvement metrics will not be found on Massachusetts sports betting apps, but seeing the Eagles taking steps in the right direction is nice.

Which Teams Improved Most?

In the grand scheme of the ACC this year, BC’s average year-over-year improvement ranking of 3.5 finished behind Syracuse (1 average ranking) and Miami (3 average ranking) and ahead of the Pitt Panthers and Clemson Tigers, who posted an average rank of 4 apiece.

Throw in the SMU Mustangs and UVA Cavaliers, who had an average rank of 6 apiece, and ACC stalwarts like Wake Forest (8 average rank), Virginia Tech (9 average rank) and Georgia Tech (9.5 average rank) and you have the top 10 success stories in the conference this season.

Now, O’Brien and his staff will look to cap off the year with a bowl game win in the Big Apple over the Cornhuskers, with BC entering the Dec. 28 showdown as a +115 moneyline underdog against the Big Ten program in this year’s Pinstripe Bowl.

Betting on the Bowls? Check out our best Massachusetts sportsbook promos before you do!

Bet $1, Double Your Winnings Your Next 10 Bets

Must be 21+ to participate. T&Cs Apply. Play Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-327-5050

Author

Christopher Boan

@cgboan

Christopher Boan has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.