Miami's Updated Odds Going Into the Final Week of the Regular Season

Miami got back on track in pursuit of a sixth National Title in program history this past weekend, taking down ACC foe Wake Forest 42-14. For those of us who had hoped to see a refocused team coming out of its bye week, it was disappointing to see another sluggish first half.

Despite that slow start, Miami turned it on in the second half, including a 22-0 fourth-quarter performance. The win moved the Canes back up in the Associated Press Top 25 Rankings, as they now sit eighth in the nation.

Even if the sky felt like it was falling after the loss a few weeks ago, the new twelve-team layout means that Miami's destiny was, and still is, in their hands. The upcoming weeks will bring on some new and legitimate challenges, but they control their own destiny down the stretch, which is all any team can ask for at this point in a season.

With one remaining game on the schedule and likely an ACC Title matchup, Miami's odds remain favorable. FanDuel continues to have the Canes as the favorites to win the ACC ahead of the surging SMU Mustangs with -110 odds. This weekend, they're 10.5-point favorites against an 8-3 Syracuse Orange and would likely face a 10-1 SMU team in the ACC Championship Game, which is no picnic.

The odds show Miami as a near lock to win the ACC and make the college football playoffs. As it stands right now, FanDuel has Miami at -260 odds to make the playoffs this year, even with two potentially difficult games on the schedule and already one loss on the year.

At the beginning of November, Miami had the eighth-best odds of winning the National Title, listed at +1600 on FanDuel. While they still hold the eighth-best odds, that figure has dropped to +2500. In comparison, the current favorite, Ohio State, is at +260.

Last weekend's victory over Wake Forest brought a collective sigh of relief to Hurricane Nation. The upcoming road game against Syracuse, a team that has had a strong season, will not be easy. However, the oddsmakers at FanDuel still believe that Miami has a solid chance to win the ACC and qualify for the playoffs.

Fans should remember that Miami is expected to continue its season into January, but the primary goal is to secure the program's sixth title. Currently, FanDuel sees this as a long shot. Miami has two more games before the postseason to prove its legitimacy as a contender.