Old Dominion might be the worst team in the Sun Belt in 2023. At the very least, the Monarchs enter 2023 with minimal expectations.
College football betting odds suggest the Monarchs will have a tough time reaching a bowl game in 2023. BetMGM lists the team’s win total at 4.5, with odds of +165 for the over and -200 for the under.
Ricky Rahne’s team lost plenty of talent in the transfer portal, including quarterback Hayden Wolff, wide receiver Ali Jennings, and running back Blake Watson. The Monarchs, on paper, have a roster filled with question marks.
A tough schedule – games with Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and Liberty make for a tough out-of-conference slate – means Old Dominion will have to answer plenty of questions to reach five victories.
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Sun Belt East stacked
The Sun Belt East being stacked with strong programs bodes well for the future of the conference, but it also means teams can’t fake their way to six wins. Old Dominion doesn’t have clarity at quarterback, and there are question marks along the offensive line. Do the Monarchs have enough playmakers on the outside to make up for quarterback and offensive line concerns?
Defensively, Jason Henderson is a beast at linebacker, but questions linger in the secondary.
If ODU can find strong quarterback play – perhaps from Grant Wilson – the Monarchs can be relatively competitive in the Sun Belt. If they can’t, the roster has too many other question marks for ODU fans to expect more than a 3-9 season.
One of the biggest issues facing the Monarchs is the clarity among other SBC East programs about their identity. Georgia Southern’s high-powered passing attack found its footing last season. Georgia State lost several close games, but fewer game-altering mistakes could lead to a bounce-back season.
Coastal Carolina returns Grayson McCall at quarterback, making the Chanticleers a league favorite. App State has some questions after a lackluster 2022 campaign, but the program’s talent and culture are unquestionable. JMU looked phenomenal in 2022 and will return key pieces along the offensive and defensive lines in 2023. Marshall’s defense is no joke, and any offensive improvement will lead to a strong 2023 season.
Old Dominion doesn’t just need to improve to reach five wins, it needs to beat some of the most capable teams across all of the Group of Five. That’s a big ask.
Early returns suggest take the under
I don’t love the -200 odds on the under, but I have a hard time finding five wins on Old Dominion’s schedule. I like Rahne as a coach and believe he can make improvements at ODU over time, but his current roster lacks the top-end talent needed to compete for the Sun Belt East title.
Teams like Marshall, App State, Coastal Carolina, and JMU appear a good step above ODU. Add in three tough non-conference games and a few other in-conference toss-up matchups, and it’s really hard to sell yourself on the over.
Old Dominion, especially if it finds an answer at quarterback, could surprise in the Sun Belt thanks to Rahne’s coaching acumen. If ODU doesn’t find strong quarterback play, it’s hard to see them winning five or more games. I’d lean toward taking the under for ODU, even if the Monarchs pull an upset or two this fall.
Bennett Conlin is a college football contributor for HERO Sports, and he works full-time covering sports betting industry news and legislation for Sports Handle and US Bets.
