Set aside the Deion Sanders buzz for a moment—Colorado might actually be the real deal. Or maybe the Buffaloes are just riding a streak of good fortune and a few nail-biters with a record that’s bound to come crashing down. Either way, the Big 12 is wide open, and Colorado has a shot at claiming the top spot this Saturday.
But the Kansas State Wildcats stand in their way. There were concerns that sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson might slip up and cost K-State a win they should have secured. That happened at BYU, but Johnson bounced back, and now the Wildcats sit at 4-1. Can they keep up the momentum in the ever-unpredictable Big 12?
Check out our Kansas State vs. Colorado prediction to see which team we’re backing.
Kansas State vs. Colorado Betting Preview
All Kansas State vs. Colorado odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. The CFN spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.
- CFN FPM Spread
Kansas State -2.5 - Spread
Kansas State -3 - Moneyline
Kansas State -155, Colorado +130 - Over/Under
55.5 points - Game Time
Oct. 12, 10:15 p.m. ET - Location
Folsom Field, Boulder, Colo. - Predicted Weather at Kick
66 degrees, cloudy, 6 mph winds - How To Watch
ESPN
If you got in on the early action in this one, good for you. This game opened with Kansas State -6 and was bet down all week long. Just hours ahead of kick, it reached nearly where the College Football Network Football Playoff Meter had it all along, -3 in favor of KSU.
MORE: CFN Betting Parlay Calculator
That kind of movement is expected with the “Deion Effect” but this felt like something different as smart bettors got involved early to move the line.
Prediction for Kansas State vs. Colorado
As much as I enjoy watching the Buffaloes, I’m not fully convinced yet. Their schedule has been a bit of a gift, allowing them to pad their record against teams that have turned out to be underwhelming. We’ve since seen that UCF isn’t as strong as initially thought, and Dave Aranda’s situation at Baylor is about as close to lame-duck status as it gets.
Yet, Colorado still needed a Hail Mary and a game-saving forced fumble from Travis Hunter to squeak by.
Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are electric, must-watch players, and I do think the defense has improved from last season. But the offensive line is still a glaring weakness, and they struggled to move the ball against the only top-40 SP+ defense they’ve faced.
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While Sanders and Hunter might be worth 12-14 points on the spread by themselves, Kansas State is a more complete team across the board.
I expect Avery Johnson to find success both on the ground and through the air, and more importantly, DJ Giddens could have a field day against Colorado’s front. If Giddens gets going, the Buffaloes won’t be able to keep up.
I’m not ready to buy into Colorado just yet. If they manage to win this one, I’ll reconsider, but for now, I’m fading them against stronger competition. Back the Wildcats and lean toward the under—I don’t see Colorado putting up much more than 20.
Prediction: Kansas State 31, Colorado 23
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