This college football season, the American Athletic Conference looks poised to be a very talented league once again. After a 2023 season where multiple teams were ranked going into the AAC championship game in this league, the American will hope for a repeat performance from some of its best teams. Here, we look at the AAC championship betting landscape and break down the top contenders to win this conference.
AAC Conference Championship Odds
| Team | AAC Championship Odds |
| Tulane | +140 |
| Memphis | +350 |
| Army | +500 |
| Navy | +650 |
| East Carolina | +1200 |
| South Florida | +1400 |
| North Texas | +1800 |
| UTSA | +3000 |
| Florida Atlantic | +12500 |
| UAB | +12500 |
| Tulsa | +15000 |
| Charlotte | +25000 |
| Rice | +25000 |
| Temple | +50000 |
American Athletic Conference Betting Preview
The favorites to win this year’s American Athletic Conference championship according to the AAC championship betting odds are the Tulane Green Wave and Memphis Tigers. Last year, both teams fell short against the SMU Mustangs in the AAC, but SMU made the move from the AAC to the ACC, shifting the balance of power in the conference before the league’s opening kickoff in 2024.
Memphis started its season as well as they could have hoped, winning their first three non-conference games, including a road game against Florida State. But they lost their conference opener to Navy, giving up 56 points to the Midshipmen. Meanwhile, Tulane has a couple of non-conference losses, but they will be forgiven for losing to ranked Big 12 schools Kansas State and Oklahoma and they will be expected to do more to avoid losses during the conference season.
There are several teams beyond just Memphis and Tulane with a genuine chance to come away with the AAC title. Included in that group are the two service academies in the conference, Army and Navy. Both teams have jumped out to the top of the conference standings, thanks in large part to their ability to run the football using their unique offenses. Whether they can keep it up against the top teams in this league remains to be seen, but they are off to promising starts in 2024.
SMU joining the ACC isn’t the only bit of conference realignment to impact the American heading into 2024. This will also be the first season where Army is a member of the league in a football-only capacity. Army’s triple-option offense and stout defense could make life difficult for many members of this conference, throwing just one more wrinkle into the championship chase in the AAC.
AAC Conference Betting & Handicapping
The biggest key to AAC championship betting this season will be figuring out which units are poised to be the standout groups in 2024. SMU’s offense was excellent last year, while Tulane’s defense was incredibly hard to score against. As a result, both of those teams ended up in the American Athletic Conference championship game.
Bettors should also be sure to analyze the conference schedules for each team to identify where there may be some advantages or disadvantages against the rest of the league. Streaks of multiple home or road games or short rest weeks could be huge factors as the conference season wears on. Identifying those opportunities for the heavy hitters in the conference ahead of time is always a smart move.
AAC Championship History
| Year | AAC Champion |
|---|---|
| 2023 | SMU |
| 2022 | Tulane |
| 2021 | Cincinnati |
| 2020 | Cincinnati |
| 2019 | Memphis |
| 2018 | UCF |
| 2017 | UCF |
| 2016 | Temple |
| 2015 | Houston |
| 2014 | UCF/Cincinnati/Memphis |
| 2013 | UCF |
AAC Championship Wins
| All Time Wins | AAC Team | Last Yr Won |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | UCF | 2018 |
| 3 | Cincinnati | 2021 |
| 2 | Memphis | 2019 |
| 1 | SMU | 2023 |
| 1 | Tulane | 2022 |
| 1 | Temple | 2016 |
| 1 | Houston | 2015 |
