Not many people would've pegged a Week 9 matchup between the Colorado Buffaloes (5-2) and the Cincinnati Bearcats (5-2) as a critical one in the grand scheme of the Big 12 standings, but that's exactly where we are at.
The winner of this week's matchup in Boulder will remain firmly alive in the race to Arlington, while the loser will be pretty much eliminated from Big 12 title contention. Kickoff from Folsom Field is scheduled for 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Both teams come into this contest playing some of their best football of the season, which makes the matchup even more enticing. The oddsmakers see the Buffaloes as 5.5-point favorites on the spread, while the total is set at over/under 57 points.
Continue below for my Cincinnati vs. Colorado predictions and my college football picks for Saturday, October 26.
Cincinnati at Colorado Odds
| Cincinnati Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -115 | 56.5 -115o / -105u | +190 |
| Colorado Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -105 | 56.5 -115o / -105u | -225 |
- Cincinnati vs Colorado Spread: Colorado -6.5
- Cincinnati vs Colorado Over/Under: 56.5
- Cincinnati vs Colorado Moneyline: Colorado -225, Cincinnati +190
Cincinnati at Colorado Picks and Predictions
- Cincinnati vs. Colorado Pick: Cincinnati +5.5
Prediction
My Colorado vs. Cincinnati best bet is on the Bearcats to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at DraftKings, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Moneyline
While I'm taking Cincinnati to cover the spread, I don't see betting value on the Bearcats to win outright.
Against the Spread
My top pick for this game is for the Bearcats to cover. I think Cincinnati is good enough to keep up with Shedeur Sanders and Colorado on the road.
Over/Under
I'm going to pass on betting Saturday's over/under, as I simply don't see value.
Cincinnati Football vs Colorado Football Betting Preview
Cincinnati Bearcats Betting Preview: Don't Sleep on Cincy
The Bearcats are quietly two plays away from being undefeated and sitting atop the Big 12 standings. Scott Satterfield's team let games slip away against both Pittsburgh and Texas Tech, but have rebounded positively to each loss and gotten back to winning ways.
QB Brendan Sorsby has been phenomenal, leading a passing attack that ranks 10th nationally in Pass Success. The Indiana transfer has nearly eclipsed 2,000 yards on the year and has a 13 to 4 TD/INT ratio.
Rushing the ball has not been nearly as big of a strength, and Cincinnati will need to run it better if it wants to be a more balanced offensive team as it approaches the heart of the Big 12 schedule.
Defensively it has been a bit of a mixed bag, but the last two weeks have been much more encouraging. After allowing 44 points in a loss to Texas Tech, the Bearcats held both UCF and Arizona State to just 13 and 14 points respectively.
Facing a Colorado passing attack that can be very explosive with Shedeur Sanders, the Bearcat secondary must be disciplined and avoid surrendering the big play.
Additionally, opponents have had some success when they have generated pressure on Sanders, so look for DC Tyson Veidt to dial up some blitzes. The key to stopping the Buffaloes is forcing them into 3rd and long situations.
Colorado Buffaloes Betting Preview: Defense Needs to Force Turnovers
You've got to give a ton of credit to Deion Sanders and the Colorado staff for having this team ready week in and week out.
Unlike last year, where amidst the media hype the Buffaloes folded in conference play, this team has been up to the challenge and played solid football all year.
Just like Cincinnati, had Colorado gotten one final stop against Kansas State two weeks ago, it would be sitting atop the league standings. That said, at 3-1 in the conference, there is still plenty to play for and protecting home turf is critical if Prime and Co. want to make it to Jerry World for the Big 12 championship.
The aforementioned Shedeur Sanders continues to be the straw that stirs the drink for Colorado. He's already accounted for 21 total touchdowns and is taking better care of the football in 2024.
Then there's Heisman candidate Travis Hunter, who continues to turn heads by making plays on both sides of the ball. Hunter was limited last week in the win at Arizona due to injury, but the early reports are that he should be good to go for Saturday.
As impressive as the offense has been, a main reason why the Buffs are winning more games is defensive improvement. Colorado has cleaned up a lot of areas from a year ago, and you can no longer just run the ball at will against them like many teams like Oregon did a year ago.
The CU secondary will face one of its more difficult challenges of the year when it takes on Sorsby and the Bearcat wide receivers, and those matchups in space will go a long way in deciding this one.
With the home crowd behind it, forcing a couple turnovers would really help the Buffs chances of winning this game. If it cannot create a few takeaways, I expect Cincy to be able to get up and down the field.
Cincinnati vs Colorado Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Cincinnati and Colorado match up statistically:
Cincinnati Offense vs. Colorado Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 80 | 57 | |
| Line Yards | 111 | 53 | |
| Pass Success | 10 | 33 | |
| Havoc | 74 | 43 | |
| Finishing Drives | 114 | 19 | |
| Quality Drives | 4 | 29 | |
Colorado Offense vs. Cincinnati Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 68 | 122 | |
| Line Yards | 108 | 124 | |
| Pass Success | 26 | 72 | |
| Havoc | 95 | 38 | |
| Finishing Drives | 59 | 8 | |
| Quality Drives | 66 | 62 |  |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 88 | 42 |
| PFF Coverage | 23 | 44 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 75 | 96 |
| Middle 8 | 100 | 31 |
| Seconds per Play | 28.7 (105) | 25.7 (38) |
| Rush Rate | 51% (86) | 41% (131) |
How to Make Cincinnati vs Colorado Picks
Ultimately, I continue to be a little bit higher than the market on the Bearcats and believe they are undervalued here once again.
With the way the Bearcat offense is producing, Cincy has the formula to hang around in this game and give itself a chance to win late in the fourth quarter.
I don't know if the Bearcats will pull off the outright upset, but I will gladly take them with the points in a game I think will be highly competitive throughout.
Travis Hunter may be getting healthier, but Cincinnati has a clear path to covering the spread in Boulder this week.
Pick: Cincinnati +5.5
Cincinnati vs Colorado Start Time, TV Channel, Location, How to Watch
| Location: | Folsom Field, Boulder, CO |
| Date: | Saturday, Oct. 26 |
| Kickoff Time: | 10:15 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN |
Cincinnati takes on Colorado in Boulder on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Cincinnati vs Colorado Betting Trends
- 77% of bets and 76% of the money are on Colorado to cover the spread
- 85% of bets and 91% of the money on the moneyline are on Colorado to win outright
- 68% of bets and 84% of the money are on the over
Betting trends via our live, updating NCAAF public betting & money percentages page.
Cincinnati vs Colorado Weather
