Once again, the Colorado Buffaloes will take center stage of the college football world. With Deion Sanders leading the charge, Coach Prime’s crew heads to Eugene, Oregon for their toughest test yet. The Oregon Ducks are big-time favorites, but can the Buffs keep it close?
Colorado vs. Oregon Betting and DFS Preview
All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Oregon vs. Colorado odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page right here.
- Spread
Oregon -21 - Moneyline
Oregon -900, Colorado +600 - Over/Under
70 points - Game time
3:30 p.m. ET - Location
Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR - Predicted Weather at Kick
69 degrees, 9-11 mph winds, cloudy - How to Watch
FuboTV, ABC
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Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Oregon Depth Chart | Colorado Depth Chart
- QB Bo Nix, Oregon ($12,200)
- QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado ($10,400)
- RB Bucky Irving, Oregon ($10,000)
- RB Jordan James, Oregon ($9,000)
- RB Noah Whittington, Oregon ($7,300)
- RB Dylan Edwards, Colorado ($6,600)
- RB Sy’veon Wilkerson, Colorado ($5,100)
- RB Jayden Limar, Oregon ($5,000)
- RB Alton McCaskill, Colorado ($5,000)
- WR Troy Franklin, Oregon ($9,800)
- WR Xavier Weaver, Colorado ($9,400)
- WR Jimmy Horn Jr., Colorado ($8,300)
- WR Tez Johnson, Oregon ($7,900)
- WR Gary Bryant Jr., Oregon ($7,700)
- WR Traeshon Holden, Oregon ($6,600)
- WR Tar’Varish Dawson, Colorado ($5,400)
- TE Michael Harrison, Colorado ($5,800)
- TE Terrance Fersuon, Oregon ($5,100)
Both defenses present fun challenges for each opposing offense in this one, yet we certainly expect some points to be scored. For the first time this season, Colorado looks — on paper at least — to be overmatched in the trenches.
Oregon’s offensive line has the power to dictate the pace of play and keep the Ducks offense on the field, mitigating the chances for Shedeur Sanders and Co. on offense.
For your DFS lineup, you are going to want to place Troy Franklin across the board. With Travis Hunter out, the Colorado State Rams picked on the Buffaloes secondary over the middle of the field with in-breaking routes from their outside receivers.
Franklin makes for one of the marquee picks of the weekend slate and is a must-start. Similarly, an undervalued option is Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson.
A week ago, the Buffs allowed CSU TE Dallin Holker to eat them alive at every level of the field, and Ferguson is a better tight end than Holker is in the long run. Grab the Ducks pair and prosper.
Prediction for Colorado vs. Oregon
It’s a must-see battle between two of the Pac-12’s top teams. However, the Ducks have been in this position before. They’ve actually won the Pac-12 and have battled the best of the best over the past decade, unlike the Buffaloes.
Bo Nix has proven that last season wasn’t a one-year fluke and his career trajectory continues to head north. For Oregon to win this game as comfortably as the Vegas line says, Nix will have to play a lights-out game and a mistake-free one at that.
The loss of Hunter at cornerback for Colorado will hurt the Buffs’ chances in this one. Almost as much as their lack of depth and inability to get pressure on the opposing quarterback has this season.
Despite their transfer influx on the defensive front, this Oregon offensive line is one of the best in the country, led by their center Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Oregon’s ball control will be crucial to the total points in this one as their defense has been prone to some minor lapses this season.
The Ducks haven’t faced the quality of opponents quite like Shedeur Sanders, though, giving cause for hope from the Colorado faithful. However, in a closely-contested game where strength matches against strength, the deeper team will always win.
Oregon wins it, but can they do so as convincingly as the line says? We don’t think so.
Prediction: Oregon 35, Colorado 23