College Football Betting Preview: Nebraska vs. Colorado

Week 1 of the 2023 college football season lived up to the hype, and it was one to remember, especially if you are a fan of the Colorado Buffaloes. The Buffaloes, led by head coach Deion Sanders, had a massive upset win over then No. 17 ranked TCU, 45-42, in Fort Worth. 

Colorado entered the game as 21-point underdogs but wasn’t phased by the moment as they went shot for shot with TCU and received career performances from QB Shedeur Sanders and CB/WR Travis Hunter. The Buffaloes will look to carry that momentum into Saturday afternoon’s home opener against Nebraska (noon ET, FOX). Colorado is a three-point home favorite over the Cornhuskers, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

Below we’ll break down this Pac-12/Big 10 matchup to kick off Saturday’s action and provide bettors with our best bet.

Nebraska vs. Colorado

Spread: Nebraska +3 (-118); Colorado -3 (-102)
Moneyline: Nebraska +120, Colorado -142
Total: Over 59 (-110); Under 59 (-110)

The lookahead line for Saturday’s game between the Cornhuskers and Buffaloes had Nebraska as 7.5-8.5 point favorites. However, that quickly changed as Coach Prime and Colorado proved to the college football world last week that it’s a brand-new era of football in Boulder. Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders had one of the best performances in Week 1 as he lit up TCU’s defense for 510 yards and four touchdowns. Sanders set a school record but also a career-high for himself. Before last week’s season opener, the former Jackson State star’s career-high for passing yards in a single game was 425 yards against Mississippi Valley State last season.

The Buffaloes also had four wide receivers with 100-plus receiving yards in last week’s win, led by freshman running back Dylan Edwards with five receptions for 135 yards and three TDs. The Buffaloes will hope to get Edwards and Sy’veon Wilkerson going on the ground after the Horned Frogs held Colorado to 55 yards. 

Along with Edwards, Hunter had a historic FBS debut, playing over 100 or more total snaps on offense and defense. The sophomore playmaker had 11 receptions for 109 yards and recorded a ridiculous interception inside the red zone in the second half. The Cornhuskers will watch out for the dynamic Hunter, who has seen his odds jump tremendously from last week.

Speaking of the Cornhuskers, they could not get the job done in Matt Rhule’s debut as they fell 13-10 on the road to Minnesota. Nebraska held a 10-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but Minnesota scored 10 unanswered points thanks to miscues by the offense. 

Cornhuskers quarterback Jeff Sims struggled in his Big Ten debut as he completed 11-of-19 passes for 114 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions. However, Sims led both teams with a game-high 91 rushing yards on 19 carries. The Cornhuskers need Sims to take care of the football to win on the road. One of his interceptions happened inside the red zone, which took points off the board for Nebraska in the first half.

But despite the offense’s struggles, we must give credit to the Cornhuskers’ defense as they came to play last week. They held Nebraska to 55 yards on the ground and forced a turnover. Nebraska also recorded three sacks and five tackles for loss. 

Lastly, the Cornhuskers’ defense must be better on third down, as they allowed Minnesota to go 8-for-17 (47%) last week. Nebraska will face a Buffaloes offense, which was 9-of-15 on third down conversions (60%) in their win over TCU.

Heading into Saturday’s contest, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule should look to establish the running game against Colorado as the Horned Frogs showed that’s a noticeable weakness. The Buffaloes allowed 262 yards on the ground. That being said, we like the Buffaloes to win outright at home. Sanders is the better quarterback in this matchup, and the Cornhuskers’ offense didn’t look impressive last week. However, Nebraska’s defense could keep things close as they have a solid senior linebacker in Luke Reimer, who had a great Week 1 (five total tackles, a sack, and a tackle for loss). The Buffaloes are a public favorite this week after their performance, but that will not scare us away from taking them on the ML.

Best Bet

Colorado ML