With the arrival of Week 4 of the college football season, so begins the slate of conference games. The Baylor Bears will travel to the Rockies as they take on the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder on Saturday.
With both teams sitting at 2-1 and looking to avoid dropping down to a .500 record, here’s all the latest betting information to help you get a handle on a key Big 12 conference matchup that could be a springboard for whoever wins.
Baylor vs. Colorado Betting and DFS Preview
All Baylor vs. Colorado odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of September 16, 2024.
- Spread
Colorado -2 - Moneyline
Baylor +105, Colorado -125 - Over/Under
53 - Game time
8:00 p.m. ET - Location
Folsom Field, Boulder, CO - Predicted Weather at Kick
71 degrees, 6 mph winds, Times of clouds and sun with a thunderstorm in spots in the afternoon - How to Watch
FOX
If there’s truth in the line that great teams cover, then the Baylor Bears may be sneaking their way up to the top of the Big 12 standings at some point. They are 3-0 against the spread, and while Colorado is a bumpy 1-2, this one is close enough that history might not tell us much.
The Bears fared better than expected after a rough start early at Utah, and Colorado has responded nicely following a rough outing at Nebraska, but it does not feel like either team is going to light up the scoreboard. Therefore, the Under looks more promising here, as it has already dropped a point early.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
- QB Dequan Finn, Baylor
- QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
- RB Dawson Pendergrass, Baylor
- RB Richard Reese, Baylor
- WR Michael Trigg, Baylor
- RB Micah Welch, Colorado
- WR Travis Hunter, Colorado
- WR LaJohntay Wester, Colorado
Travis Hunter is must-watch TV regardless of who Colorado is playing, and he’s going to give the Bears fits on both sides of the ball. The quarterback matchup here is a good one, even if Shedeur Sanders is clearly the better of the two signal-callers.
The Bears seem to be using a committee approach to the ground game, which could be troublesome for a Colorado defense that has struggled in defending the run. Likewise, the Baylor defense has been stingy in allowing just 9.7 points per game.
Prediction for Baylor vs. Colorado
Two programs who are desperate for a good start to conference play makes this a bit of a must-win for both sides. Dave Aranda seems to know he is coaching for his job, and Coach Prime has had to recognize not every bit of adversity his team faces will be solved via the portal.
If you combined these two offenses, you’d likely have a monster threat for a college football playoff team. The Buffs have talent in spades on the outside, and one of the best quarterbacks at the collegiate level in Shedeur. If you added Baylor’s run production to the mix, that might be good enough to make them a wagon, but that’s just not the case.
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Shedeur and the Buffalo wide receivers should test the secondary of Baylor just enough this week to get a lead. If Baylor has to play from behind, they may not have the talent on the outside to make it happen in a comeback.
The Bears’ defense is built to play from ahead, however. We haven’t seen what Colorado’s defense is capable of just yet, and that could be a big factor in this one. If Colorado doesn’t figure it out, the Baylor defense will do enough to limit the offensive production in the passing game to hold the Buffs back.
Colorado has to find a run game and a defensive identity. The Baylor offense isn’t quite good enough yet to prevent that from happening. As such, the Buffs should pull this one out in what will likely be a close one in Boulder.
Prediction: Colorado 24, Baylor 21
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