Week 13 ACC Football Picks, Sans Boston College

The Week 13 ACC football picks may lack the Eagles, but they do not lack the excitement of seven games of ACC action, in whatever form.

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The one that the home office in Greensboro will be watching the most closely is, ironically, the only one we will not select here today.

As for the rest of them, like we typically do on the ACC football picks, our selections are both straight-up and against-the-spread. The results have been less than optimal, admittedly, but this is something that needs to be done.

Week 13 ACC Football Picks:
North Carolina at Duke (-6)

Thursday, 7:30pm ET (ESPN)

This is a great potential matchup — if it were played on a hardwood court with basketball teams. On the football field, one team has the edge over the other. UNC could have had a good season but for their atrocious defense, while Duke still has a chance to win the ACC Coastal. All they have to do is win out, but will they?

Duke’s offense is capable of keeping up (most weeks, anyway), but the Blue Devils have a way better defense. That has to give them the edge here. Duke | Duke -6

Week 13 ACC Football Picks:
Virginia Tech (-15) at Wake Forest

Saturday, 12:30pm ET (ESPN3)

Virginia Tech probably just saved their season by beating Duke last weekend, but they have to have this game if they intend to get to a bowl. Wake Forest are the bowl eligibility fairies for mediocre and middling ACC teams who are desperate for their sixth wins. The Deacs will give it to them, but I am still not at the point where I trust this very average Hokie team to cover a spread that big. Wake’s defense is capable of keeping their team in it. Virginia Tech | WF +15

Week 13 ACC Football Picks:
Syracuse at Pittsburgh (-7.5)

Saturday, 3:30pm ET (ESPNU)

It is a bit surprising that this game is not at noon. If it could be at 10am, that’s where it would rightfully belong, but to answer the question almost nobody is asking, Pittsburgh is a slightly better team. Very little the Orange have done to this point is noteworthy, particularly on offense. This has the potential to be a low-scoring game, and with that, close. Pittsburgh | Syracuse +7.5

Week 13 ACC Football Picks:
Louisville at Notre Dame (-3.5)

Saturday, 3:30pm ET (NBC)

Louisville didn’t even have to play last week to get back into the College Football Playoff rankings. Meanwhile, Notre Dame did, and they continue their late-season meltdown. The Cardinal defense gets the job done. Louisville | Louisville +3.5

Week 13 ACC Football Picks:
Boston College at Florida State (-19)

Saturday, 3:30pm ET (ABC/ESPN2)

Check in at 7:30 tomorrow morning for the pick. They deserve their own article on a site dedicated them, do they not?

Week 13 ACC Football Picks:
Georgia State at Clemson (-40.5)

Saturday, 3:30pm ET (ESPN3)

The only question is if Clemson will cover. Losing to 1-9 Georgia State would cause a #goacc cosmic inversion that would surely kill us all. Win it for all our sakes, Clemson. Cole Stoudt remains the Tiger quarterback, but despite a very bad game last week at Georgia Tech, this other Atlanta team should be easier to handle. Beware the back-door cover, but the Panthers are sufficiently awful that they just might not get it. Clemson | Clemson -40.5

Week 13 ACC Football Picks:
Miami (-6) at Virginia

Saturday, 7pm ET (ESPN2)

Poor Virginia is in a tailspin now, and if they have any chance of making a bowl, they must beat Miami, a team that is getting better and could have (should have?) beaten Florida State. There is a chance that this could be a trap game for the Hurricanes — if Virginia were playing better than they currently are, I would make that call, but I cannot. Miami | Miami -6