Nebraska vs. Colorado Prediction, Pick, Odds: Can Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter Lead Buffs to 2-0 Start?
Colorado shocked the world in Week 1, upsetting TCU. Now, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter try and take down Nebraska in Week 2 to improve to 2-0 on the season. Can they do it? Will Matt Rhule's Cornhuskers get in their way? Find out here.
Matt MacKay - September 4, 2023, 10:36 AM EDT
3 minNebraska vs. Colorado Prediction, Pick, Odds: Can Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter Lead Buffs to 2-0 Start?
Matt Rhule and Deion Sanders both had strong head coaching debuts in Week 1, with Colorado pulling off the upset of the opening weekend, beating TCU 45-42 on the road. Nebraska lost a 13-10 slugfest to Minnesota on the road, blowing several opportunities on offense to take a lead.
Colorado now finds itself in the Pac 12, while Nebraska is in the Big 10, but these teams have a decorated history. The Buffaloes have won the last two head-to-head matchups outright, 34-31 in 2019 and 33-28 in 2018, showcasing the amount of offense and porous defense from both teams in recent years.
It's going to be the first home game for Colorado since the influx of transfers, led by Deion Sanders and his son, Shedeur Sanders, who recorded an 80.9 percent completion rate with over 500 passing yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions against a talented TCU defense. Expect a raucous atmosphere for the Buffaloes' homecoming, while the Cornhuskers must dial up their defense from Week 1 to contain the explosive playmakers on Colorado rosters. Plus, Nebraska's offense, led by transfer quarterback Jeff Sims, needs to be more efficient in the passing attack and in the red zone but could wind up achieving this feat against a Colorado defense that got gashed by the Horned Frogs.
Let's look at this highly anticipated Week 2 matchup to find the best early bet to place before lines start to move later in the week.
Nebraska vs. Colorado Start Time, Where To Watch, Odds
- Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023
- Game Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: FOX
Click here to get the latest Nebraska vs. Colorado odds
Nebraska vs. Colorado Injury Report
NEBRASKA
Questionable: LB Nick Henrich (Undisclosed)
Out: N/A
COLORADO
Questionable: TE Caleb Fauria (Foot), RB Alton McCaskill IV (Knee)
Out: N/A
Nebraska vs. Colorado Prediction
Colorado clearly has the edge in terms of talent, especially on offense, after witnessing Travis Hunter, Dylan Edwards, Jimmy Horn Jr., and Xavier Weaver all record over 100 receiving yards, while three of them scored at least one touchdown against a stout TCU defense.
Nebraska played an equally stout Big Ten defense on the road against Minnesota in Week 1, but that still doesn't justify the numbers quarterback Jeff Sims produced. He went 11-19 for 114 yards, one deep touchdown pass on a broken play, with three interceptions, including one thrown at the goal line. Sims plays best when he's a ball carrier, as he logged 19 carries for 91 rushing yards, leading the Cornhuskers in carries and rushing yards.
As good as Nebraska's defense played, they couldn't hold up in the most pivotal moments, allowing a 4th and 10 to be converted into a game-tying score with a few minutes left. Then, a couple of moments later, Minnesota delivered a game-winning field goal kick to walk off with the victory. Rhule is a defensive-minded head coach, so expect Colorado to grind for their points, but Nebraska's offense, even against a mediocre defense like the Buffaloes, has its work cut out.
The trends suggest that the over is a lock in this matchup, but I'm hesitant, especially with a tricky total point line, currently set at 58.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook. The momentum and confidence Colorado gained from their +800 moneyline road win over a TCU defense that went to the College Football Championship game a few months ago cannot be overstated. Somehow, we're getting Colorado's moneyline at -146 odds at FanDuel, which feels like stealing.
The -2.5-point spread favoring the Buffaloes is a good bet with less juice at -115 odds, but the hook could come into play in a lower-scoring game. Let's play it safe and take Colorado's moneyline odds, playing with extreme confidence entering its first home game of the season.
Nebraska vs. Colorado Pick
- PICK: Colorado Moneyline @ -146 (Click here to get the best odds for this pick)
College Football Odds
