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Nebraska vs. Colorado Predictions, Picks & Odds Week 2: Are Buffaloes Overvalued?

Mike Spector

Last Updated: September 9, 2023 11:07 AM EDT • 4 min 16 sec read.

There was a dramatic change in expectations and the betting odds for the Colorado Buffaloes this season following a Week 1 victory and our top Nebraska vs. Colorado prediction assesses whether the Buffaloes are overvalued following their historic upset.

Colorado achieved a significant feat by ending a 25-game losing streak as a 20-point underdog in Week 1, defeating TCU 45-42. In addition, Colorado snapped a 27-game losing streak against top-20 opposition on the road.

Deion Sanders secured the first win by an underdog of 20 or more points in an inaugural FBS coaching debut since the 1978 FBS/FCS split. As a result of their impressive victory over the formerly No. 17-ranked TCU Horned Frogs, the Buffaloes have earned the No. 22 spot in this week's AP poll.

However, our Shane Jackson is still backing the Under on Colorado's season win total.

Nebraska lost its fifth straight head-to-head matchup against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the season opener, falling 13-10. It was the first game in the Matt Rhule era, and Rhule has only had two losing seasons at the collegiate level, his first seasons at Baylor and Temple. 

Here is our best Nebraska vs. Colorado prediction and college football picks (odds via our best college football betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Nebraska vs. Colorado prediction: Week 2

Nebraska +3.5 (-110 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐

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Like clockwork, broadcasters, pundits, and bettors alike will look at Week 1 results and overreact, claiming that what they saw the week prior is what they are bound to see the whole season. Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for a school-record 510 yards, the most in an FBS debut in 25 years. 

In addition, four Colorado wide receivers went over 100 yards for the first time in school history. Dylan Edwards became the first FBS freshman in the last 20 seasons to record three receiving touchdowns and a rushing score in a collegiate debut. 

While Sanders became the first Colorado quarterback in three years to throw for 300-plus yards, we are not about to anoint this as the best offense in school history.

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By season’s end, we may be talking about TCU as a below .500 team. After all, the Horned Frogs lost the last game of last season (the national championship) by 58 points and had to replace 31 players from that team. The Buffaloes’ defense allowed 541 yards to said Horned Frogs team, and much of the overvaluing of Colorado is a result of the Pac-12 conference as a whole going 13-0 to this point.

With the amount of hype Colorado got all offseason and after a huge win last week, why is it only a 3.5-point home favorite in Coach Prime’s debut?

This line is begging bettors to back the Buffaloes, but we expect the defensive-minded Rhule to have a great game plan now that he has a game’s worth of film to scout Sanders and Co. Nebraska’s returning offensive linemen combined for 120 starts, and a veteran unit up front is always a good thing to have on the road. And a defense that returned its top three tacklers from last year and four starters in the secondary performed well last week, holding Minnesota to 251 total yards. Had it not been for a -3 turnover margin, Nebraska would have likely walked out of last week with a victory.

The Cornhuskers are 4-2 ATS since 2021 when they have a rest advantage, and the extra two days to prepare after having played on Thursday night should do them a world of good.

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Nebraska vs. Colorado best odds

BetMGM (-110)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsbet365
+3+2.5+3.5+3+3
-105+102-110+100-110

BetMGM’s competitors are making it enticing for Nebraska backers to shop with them, as one can get less than the standard juice (and even plus-money) odds elsewhere on the Cornhuskers’ point spread. 

bet365 comparatively has the worst value of all the major shops, offering the key number of +3 with fewer incentives at standard juice than other sportsbooks. 

However, as long as we can get Nebraska at more than a field goal, we will take it, regardless of the price. Otherwise, one could argue that taking the Cornhuskers’ moneyline odds makes more sense, especially at FanDuel, the only sportsbook offering lower than the 3-point spread. 

Nebraska vs. Colorado odds

Nebraska vs. Colorado odds analysis

No Week 2 college football game’s odds moved more from the lookahead line than this one. Nebraska was most commonly found as a 8.5-point favorite as recently as one week ago. Though this line jumped the fence completely, Nebraska backers were most commonly involved when the number reached +3.5, and the spread did not have enough momentum to get to +4 or higher anywhere.

All major sportsbooks are in unison with the 59.5-point total, and all are offering standard -110 juice on either side, except for BetRivers (-114 Over, -109 Under). This number moved much less than the point spread from its lookahead line of 57.5. 

Nevertheless, Colorado’s 45-point offensive explosion last week was enough for oddsmakers to believe their original line was too low. There has been good two-way action on the total thus far, with the slight majority (58%) of the wagers backing the Over.                                          

Nebraska vs. Colorado game info

  • When: Saturday, Sept. 9 at noon ET
  • Where: Folsom Field, Boulder, CO
  • How to watch: FOX
  • Weather: 89 degrees, 15% chance of precipitation, 9-mph NE winds

Nebraska-Colorado prediction made Thursday at 6:30 a.m. ET.

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Written By:
Mike Spector
Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”