Posted 4 months ago |  Betting Previews and Predictions, NCAAF  |  6 comments

North Dakota State vs Colorado August 29, 2024 @ Boulder, CO

Opening Betting Odds

Spread: Colorado -8, North Dakota State +8
Moneyline: Colorado N/A. North Dakota State N/A
Total: 59

Preview

The first season under coach Prime had it’s ups and downs, but at the end of the day the Buffaloes were 1-8 in the PAC12 and just 4-8 overall. The betting markets suggest that we can expect them to be better in their first year in the BIG12.

Colorado’s regular season win total is set at 5.5 (juiced -145 to the over). It’s not like they have an easy schedule, as we are only projecting them to be favored in three of 12 games.

The Bison have feasted on FBS opponents, going 7-4 straight up and only losing by 7+ points once during that span. Their most recent game versus an FBS team was 31-28 loss to Arizona in 2022.

Colorado

• 4-8 Overall in 2023
• 1-8 in the PAC12 in 2023
• 7-4-1 ATS in 2023

The hype train reached a fever pitch after Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes started the 2023 season with three straight wins. Reality set in when they lost eight of their remaining nine games. While many savvy sports bettors pegged Colorado as the most overrated team in the country, their ATS record would suggest otherwise.

Shedeur Sanders is back at QB, but it’s unclear what has been done to address Colorado’s shortcomings on the offensive line. They ranked dead last in the PAC12 allowing 56 sacks last season, but Sanders still managed to throw for 3,230 yards and 27 TDs.

Travis Hunter is also back for one more season, and he’s a star on both offense and defense. He will anchor a defense that has several high profile additions via the transfer portal. After ranking 122nd nationally allowing almost 35 points per game last year, improvement is expected.

North Dakota State

• 11-4 Overall in 2023
• 5-3 in the MVC in 2023

The Bison have won six FCS National Championships over the past 10 years, but they are coming off a disappointing season by their standards. The won 11 games but lost in the playoffs to the Montana Grizzlies.

North Dakota state did not face an FBS team last year, but they have won six of their last seven games against FBS opponents dating back to 2010.

Tim Polasek was named the 32nd head football coach at North Dakota State after Matt Entz took a job at USC. He will bring in new coordinators on both sides of the ball, and only two offensive lineman are returning. This leaves plenty of question marks as they get set to face a BIG12 team in Week 1.

Relevant Trends

• The Bison are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games on the road.
• The Bison are 5-1 ATS in their last six games.
• The Buffaloes are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games played in week 1.
• The Buffaloes are 0-6 SU in their last 6 games.
• The Over is 4-1 in the Buffaloes last 5 home games.

PREDICTION: COLORADO 31 – NORTH DAKOTA STATE 29

The Bison are very optimistic about first year head coach Tim Polasek, who is a familiar face after two previous stints as a running backs coach and an offensive coordinator. While it may well be a good fit, we expect him to have his hands full in Boulder in Week 1. The Buffaloes are loaded with NFL caliber talent on offense, but they might struggle to stop the Bison from running the ball. Don’t be surprised if this game turns into a shootout.

---

Ready to make serious cash this football season? Subscribe to premium picks from our leading NFL handicappers and College Football handicappers. Don’t miss out on discounted rates for combined packages.

---

[wp_social_sharing social_options='facebook,twitter,googleplus,linkedin,pinterest,xing' twitter_username='capperreviews' facebook_text='Share on Facebook' twitter_text='Share on Twitter' googleplus_text='Share on Google+' icon_order='f,t,g' show_icons='0' before_button_text='' text_position='' social_image='']

Leave a Comment