Colorado vs. Arizona Prediction, Pick Against the Spread and Latest Odds

Colorado vs. Arizona Prediction, Pick Against the Spread and Latest Odds

Last week, Colorado had a huge win on primetime television snatched from them as Kansas State's Avery Johnson threw a 50-yard TD pass with just over two minutes left to take down the Buffs. This week, another high-powered offense is looking to knock them out as Colorado takes on Arizona in Tucson.

Overall, Colorado vs. Arizona is an intriguing enough matchup, but a one-on-one matchup is stealing the show. Future top-five pick, cornerback Travis Hunter, will face the best receiver he's seen in his collegiate career in Tetairoa McMillan. Whoever gets the best of this individual matchup probably goes a long way in deciding this game and boosting their draft stock.

Still, there's more to this game than Travis Hunter vs. T-Mac. Can the Colorado line protect Shedeur Sanders? Can the Arizona offense find its groove after back-to-back weeks of struggle? Before making your college football picks, let's break it down for this week's Colorado vs. Arizona prediction.

Colorado vs. Arizona Odds

Colorado vs. Arizona odds have moved a little as the week has gone by, but for the most part, they've stayed put. Arizona opened as a three-point favorite. That line moved to two points on Thursday and on Saturday morning it sits at 2.5 in most places.

Where we have seen a bit of movement is the total as it opened at 55 and is now up to 58 or 58.5, depending where you bet.

The point spread is a bit of a head-scratcher as the Wildcats have looked downright bad on offense for two straight weeks and Colorado has the firepower to hang with just about anyone in the country. Travis Hunter is back and without limitations, so we should expect to see a big game from the Heisman hopeful.

Colorado vs. Arizona Date, Time and Where to Watch

• Date: October 19, 2024
• Time: 4:00 pm ET
• Where to Watch: FOX

Colorado vs. Arizona Prediction

I guess the No. 1 question we have for Colorado vs. Arizona is "What Arizona team are we going to get on Saturday?". Are we getting the team that went into Salt Lake City and delivered Utah its first loss this season? Or, are we getting the Arizona team that scored seven against K-State, 22 against Texas Tech and 19 against BYU?

I think we have to trust what we've seen from the Cats lately and that's a tendency to go missing in big games.

When it comes to Colorado, they've been a consistent team in 2024. They're going to put up points, they're going to throw the ball all over the field and they're not going to block for Shedeur Sanders. Luckily for them, the last point doesn't seem to matter as Sanders' stable of elite wide receivers can make plays on demand.

For me, it's pretty simple here. Colorado and Shedeur Sanders roll into town with the No. 9 passing offense in the country, averaging 314.6 yards per game through the air. Meanwhile, Arizona struggles to stop just about everyone with the 76th-ranked passing defense. The absence of Treydan Stukes since the Utah game certainly hasn't helped that.

I'm also banking on Noah Fifita's turnover issues to continue this week. Fifita launched two interceptions against Texas Tech and then came back and threw three more last game against BYU. If Arizona is going to outscore the Buffs, they're going to need every possession. I know the Colorado defense leaves a lot to be desired, but Fifita currently has eight TDs and nine INTs on the year. He's going to turn the ball over and Colorado will take advantage of it.

Don't overcomplicate this one. Take the points with Colorado.

Colorado vs. Arizona Pick

• PICK: Colorado +2.5 (-106) Click here for the latest Colorado vs. Arizona odds