Colorado vs. Nebraska Prediction, Odds
| Colorado Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 55.5 -110o / -110u | +190 |
| Nebraska Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 55.5 -110o / -110u | -230 |
- Colorado vs. Nebraska point spread: Nebraska -6.5 | Colorado +6.5
- Colorado vs. Nebraska over/under: 55.5 total points scored
- Colorado vs. Nebraska moneyline: Nebraska -230 | Colorado +190
- Colorado vs. Nebraska prediction: Nebraska to cover the spread
If there was a College Football Playoff for preseason talking points, the Colorado Buffaloes and Nebraska Cornhuskers would be locks for first-round byes, as evidenced by all the hype for tonight's College Football Week 2 matchup.
Two of the most discussed teams this offseason now get a chance to see which one was more worthy of the buzz when they meet Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, and I have the chance to preview Colorado vs. Nebraska.
Nebraska is currently a 6.5-point favorite in the latest Nebraska vs. Colorado odds, meaning the Huskers are favored to win by touchdown. In fact, Nebraska and Dylan Raiola have been -7 for much of Saturday, with the spread getting as high as Nebraska -7.5.
The Cornhuskers are -230 moneyline favorites to win outright, while Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter and Colorado are a +190 underdog to pull off the upset. The over/under is 55.5 total points scored.
Let's get to everything you need to know about this marquee NCAAF Week 2 matchup with the latest odds, my pick, how to watch the game, and more in my college football predictions.
SPREAD
My best bet for Saturday night's game is on Nebraska to cover the spread. I'm willing to bet that as high as Nebraska -7.5, which means we're getting solid value with the line now down to Nebraska -6.5 at most books.
OVER/UNDER
I don't have a bet on the Nebraska vs. Colorado total, which has hovered around 55 or 56 all day on Saturday.
MONEYLINE
No bet from me on the moneyline, although it is interesting to note that according to our public betting page, Colorado is getting only 10% of the moneyline bets but 91% ([) of the money on who will win outright.
Nebraska vs. Colorado Best Bet: Nebraska -6.5 | Bet to -7.5
Colorado Football vs. Nebraska Football
Colorado staved off FCS power North Dakota State to begin the second year of the Deion Sanders Show, while Nebraska rode an impressive debut performance from freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola to accelerate the second year of the Matt Rhule rebuild.
The programs meet for a second consecutive season of what was once a yearly rivalry, with the Cornhuskers looking for redemption from their 2023 turnover-laden performance in Boulder. Nebraska lost three fumbles to the Buffaloes and dealt with poor quarterback play that foreshadowed the type of season ahead.
The series now heads to Lincoln, where Nebraska has seen its status as a favorite tick ahead to seven points. Does its Raiola-led offense have enough to outscore the one-two punch of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter by at least a touchdown?
Colorado Buffaloes Football
Week 1 served as yet another data point for the Travis-Hunter-is-the-best-player-in-the-country argument, as the Colorado star missed all of two total offensive and defensive snaps en route to the first three-touchdown performance of his career.
The Buffaloes held on to a five-point victory over North Dakota State and demonstrated some modest improvements on both sides of the ball from their 2023 season.
Shedeur Sanders passed for 445 yards and was only sacked one time, a marked improvement for a team that allowed the second most sacks in the nation a year ago.
While the retooled offensive line did a better job protecting Sanders, running the ball was still an issue with Colorado only rushing for 59 yards on 23 carries. Colorado's longest run racked up just 11 yards.
Colorado's front seven, which was one of the worst run defenses around in 2023, also showed some modest improvement. The Buffaloes limited the damage of a run-heavy Bison team to just 157 yards on 43 carries.
The secondary, however, is still a work in progress. Even with the boost from Hunter, the Buffs surrendered 292 passing yards on just 26 attempts to the Bison in Week 1.
It plays a ton of man coverage and will be tested this week against a much more potent Nebraska passing attack.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Football
It’s cliche at this point to say that Rhule-led teams don’t usually hit their stride until Year 2 of his presence, but that couldn’t be any more true at Nebraska. The addition of one of the most-heralded quarterback prospects in recent memory to its roster certainly makes that task much easier.
Dylan Raiola looked the part in his collegiate debut, picking apart a UTEP defense with some highlight throws as he passed for 238 yards and two touchdowns in Nebraska’s 33-point win over the Miners.
The addition of Raiola could not have come at a more opportune time after the Cornhuskers finished 2023 ranked 129th in Pass Success Rate. Raiola’s 238 passing yards were more than any game Nebraska had last season.
Continuity on the offense is also a huge catalyst for Cornhusker success this season, with four returning offensive linemen starters as well as three of Nebraska’s top four receivers from a year ago.
The Nebraska defense was expected to be a strength this season, and albeit it came against UTEP, the Cornhuskers defense did not disappoint. One of the best defensive lines in the country held the Miners to just 2.3 yards per carry and forced two interceptions.
How to Watch Colorado vs. Nebraska: Channel, Streaming, Time
| Nebraska vs. Colorado Time: | 10 p.m. ET |
| TV Channel/Streaming | NBC/Peacock |
| Location: | Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 7 |
The Colorado vs. Nebraska start time is 10 p.m. ET. The TV channel for Buffaloes vs. Cornhuskers is NBC, with the game available for streaming on Peacock and YouTube TV.
How to Make College Football Picks on Colorado vs. Nebraska
Talking season is over, so which team has the actual edge? While Colorado looked improved to begin Sanders’ second season, there are still some big weaknesses that the Cornhuskers should be able to exploit.
The Buffalo offense is still one-dimensional and entirely reliant on Shedeur Sanders to keep it in games. The smart thing for Nebraska would be to play deep coverage and limit any damage Hunter or Jimmy Horn Jr. do in the passing game.
Colorado failed to get its run game going against a much physically smaller North Dakota State front four, so it’s hard to imagine it having success against the beef of the Nebraska defensive line when push comes to shove.
Colorado’s secondary, while it looked marginally better, still isn't great. It plays too much man coverage without the talent to support that style, so Raiola will have opportunities to make some big plays.
As long as Nebraska can avoid the turnover bug that bit it in 2023, the Cornhuskers are too deep at every position for Colorado to pull the upset or hang within a score. The Raiola hype train is real. All aboard.
Pick: Nebraska -7.5
College Football Week 2 Weather for Buffaloes vs. Cornhuskers
