Nebraska vs. Colorado Betting Picks: Was Week 1 a Fluke for Colorado?
Nebraska and Colorado face off on Saturday afternoon and it's going to be an exciting game. Was Week 1 a fluke for Colorado? Ben Rajavuori answers.
Ben Rajavuori - September 8, 2023, 4:15 PM EDT
7 minNebraska vs. Colorado Betting Picks: Was Week 1 a Fluke for Colorado?
Two programs with first-year head coaches are set to clash in a Week 2 showdown that promises to capture the eyes of the college football world. The Nebraska Cornhuskers, led by coach Matt Rhule, will face off against the resurgent Colorado Buffaloes, led by Deion Sanders. This game has become the biggest one of the weekend after Colorado beat TCU on the road last week to move into the top 25 at No. 22. Even with the heaviest action on the entire college football slate this weekend, and Colorado has moved from -3 to -2.5 on FanDuel and some other books. Could this be a trap?
Nebraska vs. Colorado Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 9, 2023
- Time: 12 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: FOX
Nebraska vs. Colorado Prediction
Colorado made headlines with their upset over TCU in their season opener. The Buffaloes, who had a win total of 3.5 entering the season, shocked the world by beating TCU outright as a three-touchdown underdog. This win pushed them into the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2020. Coach Deion Sanders' decision to overhaul the entire roster raised eyebrows, but the win against the Horned Frogs has silenced many critics. Sanders now boasts two players who may be in Heisman contention and a team that may make a bowl game despite the low expectations entering the season.
On the other hand, Nebraska enters this game after a gut-punch loss to Minnesota in their season opener. Four turnovers and seven penalties were costly for the Cornhuskers, who were left speechless after blowing the lead late in the fourth quarter. However, there were positives to take away from the game. The Huskers displayed physicality in their running game, even with the loss of primary target Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda due to a season-ending knee injury.
Nebraska will enjoy some extra rest after starting their season on a Thursday night. The Cornhuskers' defense was top-notch in the opener, limiting the Gophers' rushing attack to just 3.1 yards per play. The Gophers could not find anything through the air as well, and they didn't even score a touchdown until 2:38 left in the game when they tied it 10-10.
The offense, led by transfer quarterback Jeff Sims, showed Nebraska will be a formidable rushing offense in 2023. With a 70% Success Rate on 35 rushing attempts, the Huskers established their ground game effectively, gaining 6.1 yards per play. However, they struggled with turnovers in the passing game, with Sims throwing three interceptions, which cost them the game in the end. For Nebraska to succeed, Sims will need to limit mistakes in the passing game, allowing the rushing attack to take advantage of any weaknesses in Colorado's front seven.
Colorado, on the other hand, brought a young and inexperienced team into their week one victory over TCU. While their rushing game struggled, averaging just 2.9 yards per attempt, they excelled in converting long third downs, which kept their drives alive and allowed them to keep up with the TCU offense.
While that was an incredible feat, I think it is realistic to assume that Colorado will come back down to earth a bit in game two, and they will have less success on third down. Shedeur Sanders had an amazing game and threw for 510 yards, but the Colorado defense left little to be loved, and they allowed TCU to score almost every time they had the ball. The Nebraska defense is underrated heading into this matchup and could pose more of a threat to Colorado.
Colorado is drawing heavy public and sharp action, with 82% of bets and 78% of money on the Colorado at BetMGM, per @johnewing on Twitter. Only 23% of the money is on Nebraska. Yet, with all the bets coming in on Colorado, the line dropped from -3 to -2.5 mid-day today. That is a massive red flag, and I think it shows the market may have overreacted on Colorado.
Yes, their week one win was very impressive, but they still have a young team with a smaller offensive line and a not-so-impressive defense. Defense wins games, and Nebraska has the better defense here. Nebraska had some unfortunate luck in week one with so many turnovers, but I expect them to rebound in game two tomorrow. I'm fading the popular Buffaloes and going with the Cornhuskers on Saturday morning. Nebraska is still +3 at DraftKings for now, so that's where I'm headed for this one.
Nebraska vs. Colorado Betting Picks
Pick: Nebraska +3 -118 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
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