Colorado football will begin its second season under Coach Prime on Thursday as Deion Sanders and the Buffs will host the North Dakota State Bison. Colorado went from one win in 2022 to four victories last year, though the team finished the year on a six-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Bison went 11-4 last season, losing in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs. North Dakota State enters the 2024 college football season ranked No. 2 in the FCS Coaches' Poll.
Kickoff is at 8 p.m. ET from Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. The Buffs are 10.5-point favorites in the latest Colorado vs. North Dakota State odds, per SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points is 55.5. Before making any Colorado vs. North Dakota State picks, you need to see the Week 1 college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is an NFL, college football and DFS expert for SportsLine, who has covered the NFL and college football for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. His background as a former college football All-American and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks. He has his finger on the pulse of the college football landscape and has been cashing in big for the last two years.
Kaylor destroyed the books in college football in 2023, netting a whopping 57.9 units while posting a 107-45-2 record. Anyone who followed his picks finished the season way up.
Now, Kaylor has dialed in on Colorado vs. NDSU on Thursday and just revealed his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college football oddsand college football betting lines on the spread, money line and over/under for NDSU vs. Colorado:
- North Dakota State vs. Colorado spread: Colorado -10.5
- North Dakota State vs. Colorado over/under: 55.5 points
- North Dakota State vs. Colorado money line: Colorado -400, NDSU +320
- North Dakota State vs. Colorado picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Colorado can cover
The Buffs had an influx of talent with incoming freshmen and transfers, and much of that is high-end talent. Amongst their newcomers for the Class of 2024 are 12 players rated as four-stars or above and 37 players rated as three-stars. However, the cream of the crop when it comes to Colorado football remains quarterback Shedeur Sanders and WR/CB Travis Hunter.
Despite facing constant pressure all season, Sanders ranked eighth in all of FBS in completion percentage (69.3%) last year while ranking fourth in the Pac-12 in passing touchdowns (27). He shouldn't be under attack as much in 2024 as the offensive line was one of the focal points of all of those newcomers brought in. Meanwhile, Hunter was a Consensus All-American last year and is on the Preseason All-American First-Team this season. Additionally, while CU struggled in conference games last season, it was a perfect 3-0 in non-conference matchups.See which team to pick here.
Why North Dakota State can cover
The Bison have won nine of the last 13 national championships at the FCS level. First-year head coach Polasek was an offensive assistant for the 2011 and 2012 championship teams, and was the offensive coordinator for the 2014 and 2015 championship teams. He inherits a team that returns plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, including quarterbacks Miller and Cole Payton.
Miller is the team's unquestioned starter, and is a preseason FCS All-America candidate. He returns to the Bison after completing 72% of his passes for 2,688 yards, 19 touchdowns, and four interceptions, and rushing for 629 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023. Payton is an outstanding runner, who plays a role for the Bison that is comparable to what Taysom Hill does for the New Orleans Saints. In 2023, Payton threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 615 yards and 13 scores.See which team to pick here.
How to make North Dakota State vs. Colorado picks
Kaylor has analyzed Colorado vs. North Dakota State from every angle and he's leaning Under on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread.He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Colorado vs. North Dakota State on Thursday in Boulder, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the expert who profited $5,790 for $100 college football bettors in 2023, and find out.
