With college football season on the horizon, ESPN Chalk's college football experts -- Phil Steele, "Stanford Steve" Coughlin and Chris Fallica -- combine to give you betting previews of the top 25 teams, according to the ESPN College Football Rankings. They break down each team's strengths and weaknesses, along with season win total bets and national title odds.
Odds from Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook as of Aug. 14.
Virginia Tech Hokies
National title odds: 80-1 (opened 40-1)
Season win total: 8.5
FPI win total projection: 7.8
Phil Steele
Strengths: The Hokies return seven starters from a defense that allowed just 22.8 points per game in 2016. They have my No. 26-rated defensive line, No. 9 group of linebackers and No. 3 defensive backs. Tech is a defensive headache for all opponents. Offensively, top running back Travon McMillian (4.6 yards per tote and seven touchdowns) is back and will be pushed by true freshman Jalen Holston.
Weaknesses: Jerod Evans left early for the NFL, so Virginia Tech will have zero career pass attempts returning at the quarterback position. Additionally, they lose three of their top four receivers, including a pair of NFL draft picks. The passing game will have its share of growing pains.
Over/under (8.5): Even with the losses in the pass game, I do like the replacements, and Tech has a potential top-10 defense. I actually have the Hokies favored in 10 games this year, so I would be siding with the over.
National title odds (80-1): The Hokies are my No. 8 surprise team this year, and the odds have gone from 40-1 to 80-1, so there is real value here. They do have three capable quarterbacks ready to take over, so if they get to the ACC title game, they have a chance to make the playoff.
"Stanford Steve" Coughlin
Over/under (8.5): Can Justin Fuente turn what looks like a bleak quarterback situation coming into the season into a strength of the team for a second straight year? That is the biggest question for me when I look at the Hokies this year. One thing is for sure -- the defense will be a strength with guys like Andrew Motuapuaka and Tremaine Edmunds returning at linebacker for Bud Foster.
You obviously have to look at their schedule and see what lies ahead there, and I see a huge test vs. West Virginia in Week 1. They also have some tricky road trips, including Boston College a week after they host Clemson and going into Atlanta to face the Wrambling Wreck of Georgia Tech a week after heading to South Florida to play Miami. I just get the feeling that the Hokies are a team that is ranked pretty high this year because they had success last year. Let me have the under.
Chris Fallica
Over/under (8.5): I think the Hokies will beat West Virginia in the opening week, which will put them at 4-0 when they host Clemson on September 30. The surprise departure of Jerod Evans hurts, as do the losses of Bucky Hodges and Isaiah Ford, but this defense should still be very good. The schedule goes their way too as they get two of the weaker teams in the ACC -- Boston College and Virginia -- on the road. If the Hokies can handle those two, it means home wins over North Carolina, Duke and Pittsburgh would have them hitting the nine-win mark. That seems very likely in my eyes, even with some unproven skill in key offensive spots.
National title odds (80-1): I think VT is a nine- or 10-win team, but they are definitely a cut below the obvious national title contenders. If you're of the belief VT can beat Clemson at home and possibly finish the regular season 11-1, and then beat FSU or Clemson (again) in the ACC title game, then 80-1 is a fair price to take. Still, you would be asking a lot of them to then potentially beat Alabama.