North Dakota State @ Colorado: NCAA Football Predictions, Odds & Best Bets (8/29)

College Football is finally here! Even though Week 0 featured four games with all of the underdogs covering, Week 1 is where the real action begins as the Colorado Buffalos host the North Dakota State Bison at Folsom Field on Thursday Night. For the second season in a row, the Buffalos have tons of hype surrounding the program run by Head Coach Deion Sanders. As far as having a successful season last year, Colorado did go over their 3.5 win total, by winning 4 games, but they did surprise the world by starting off 3-0.

And then things came crashing down.

The Buffs were just 1-8 in PAC-12 play (RIP), and now they join a conference that just got tougher in the Big 12. Can they shock the world and defend their home turf to start off the season? Or will the Buffalos be overrun by the Bison? Let’s dive in to this matchup and find our best bets!

North Dakota State vs Colorado: Bison vs Buffalos at Folsom Field

Matchup Information – North Dakota State vs Colorado

• Venue & Location: Folsom Field (Boulder, CO)
• Date: Thursday, August 29th, 2024
• Kick Off: 8:00pm Eastern
• Broadcast: ESPN

Betting Odds

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Spread

• North Dakota State +9.5 (-115)
• Colorado -9.5 (-115)

Money Line

• North Dakota State +285
• Colorado -360

Total

• Over 60.5 (-120)
• Under 60.5 (-110)

Will Hunter, Sanders Propel Buffalos to Victory?

Look, this isn’t your typical FCS vs FBS football game. North Dakota Slate isn’t just any ordinary squad. They are a program that is built on a winning culture, and it’s not stopping anytime soon. The Bison boast 37 Conference Titles and 17 National Championships, including 9 Division 1 FCS Titles. They won 5 straight titles from 2011-2015, and 3 more from 2017-2019. Now, their most recent is back in 2021, but this team ranks 2nd in the FCS and is returning nearly all of their starters from a year ago.

Last year the Bison went 11-4 overall, losing in the FCS Semifinals to the Montana Grizzlies. They did not encounter an FBS opponent last season, but they are 7-4 in their history against bigger Division 1 schools. Like I said, this is a program that is used to winning, and I do not think they should be double digit underdogs against this Colorado team, even on the road.

Is there a world where North Dakota State upsets Colorado outright? Absolutely. I learned my lesson by not saying the same about Georgia Tech last Saturday. However, it will take the best game they’ve got, and the stars of Colorado having a big of a struggle early on. Last year, Colorado came out flying, beating TCU 45-42 on the road in a thriller, in which all of their skill players went off. It’s clear this team is extremely talented, but talent and winning games don’t always translate. The Bison’s finish last season was their worst since the 2010 season, so you can expect they will come out with a vengeance, looking to reestablish themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the FCS.

What better way to do that than a Week 1 upset over an FBS school on the road?

North Dakota State vs Colorado Best Bets

North Dakota State vs Colorado Prediction: Colorado Wins, NDSU Covers, Over 60.5

Best Bets: North Dakota State +10 (-120) BetOnline

Now, in the spirit of honesty, I did find this at +10 (-110) on another book, so always do your line shopping. However, paying (-120) in order to get the double digits is worth it in my opinion. I think this game has a Bison backdoor cover written all over it. For starters, Colorado’s defense can’t stop anyone. While they did hit the portal for some help, this North Dakota State offense has played together for years, and are primed and ready to make some noise in the FCS. They have two upperclassmen running backs, Barika Kpeenu and TK Marshall who are ready to tag team the backfield after losing their top rusher to the NFL.

Usually the under and the underdog have some correlation, as less points means less chance to cover a spread, however I think we see points in this game, and I don’t think that hurts the Bison. North Dakota State is going to be able to move the ball against Colorado. Plain and simple. Whether or not their defense is able to slow down the Sanders, Hunter combo on offense is a different story. With a total at 60.5, Vegas knows these teams are going to score, the question is obviously how much.

North Dakota State ranked 19th among FCS schools last season, allowing just 19.9 points per game, while scoring over 38 and ranking 3rd. Colorado on the other hand, was nearly last amongst FBS schools. The Buffalos ranked 121st out of 130 in points per game allowed, giving up nearly 35 per game. However, they were able to score 28 per game themselves, as we know how star studded their roster is. Tonight, I think we see both offenses go back and forth down the field scoring at will.

I think the Bison’s offense is skilled enough to go up against Colorado’s defense, and I think the North Dakota State defense can hold their own as well. Double digits seems a bit disrespectful to me, and a bit overcompensating for the Colorado hype we hear for a 2nd straight year. Give me the Bison to find a way to cover with their returning team on the road in Boulder.

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