Utah vs. Colorado Prediction: Shedeur Sanders Powers Buffaloes Past Rival Utes

The Utes head into Week 12 on a seven-game winning streak against the Buffaloes. But here’s the twist in our Utah vs. Colorado prediction: the streak ends now.

The Utah Utes have dominated the Colorado Buffaloes, boasting an 11-2 record since their rivalry was reignited in 2011. However, their seven-game winning streak faces a serious challenge in Week 12, as the Buffaloes fight to keep their Big 12 Championship hopes alive.

Our Utah vs. Colorado prediction breaks down the matchup, providing crucial betting insights to help you make confident wagers.

CFN CFB Playoff Predictor
College Football Network’s College Football Playoff Predictor is a tool that allows you to play out various weekly scenarios to see how the CFP picture changes with each scenario.

Utah vs. Colorado Betting Preview

All Utah vs. Colorado odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. The CFN spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.

  • CFN FPM Spread
    Colorado -10.5
  • Spread
    Colorado -13.5
  • Moneyline
    Colorado -550, Utah +410
  • Over/Under
    44.5 points
  • Game Time
    Noon ET, Saturday, Nov. 16
  • Location
    Folsom Field | Boulder, Colo.
  • Predicted Weather at Kick
    45 degrees, 5 mph winds, sunny
  • How To Watch
    Fox

These two teams couldn’t be more different in terms of their betting trends. The Utes are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games, and the under has gone under in five of their last six contests.

MORE: CFN Betting Parlay Calculator

On the flip side, Colorado is 7-0 ATS in its previous seven outings, with the total going over in four of the past six games.

Utah’s Winning Probability

The Utes are at the bottom of the Big 12 with a 1-5 conference record and are three games away from posting their first losing season since 2013. At 4-5, they need two wins to avoid the feat, but ranked matchups with Colorado and Iowa State are next up.

  • at Colorado: 21.9%
  • vs. Iowa State: 41.1%
  • at UCF: 51.8%

Colorado’s Winning Probability

The Buffaloes are already bowl-eligible at 7-2 on the season, their first time in five years. In fact, they have had seven or more wins in a single campaign since 2016 (10-4). But Deion Sanders and Co. aren’t settling — as long as they win out, they’re in the conference championship. According to the FPM, the road is rather easy.

  • vs. Utah: 78.1%
  • at Kansas: 73.4%
  • vs. Oklahoma State: 84.2%

Prediction for Utah vs. Colorado

The 2024 “Rumble in the Rockies” is shaping up to be anything but a fair fight. The Utes, once preseason favorites, have been derailed by a wave of setbacks—losing QB Cam Rising (again), TE Brant Kuithe (again), WR Money Parks, and making a midseason switch from offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig to Mike Bajakian.

The fallout? A brutal five-game losing streak after a promising 4-0 start. They came heartbreakingly close to upsetting BYU in Week 11, only to fall short in a gut-wrenching 22-21 loss.

Now, with Brandon Rose joining Cam Rising and Sam Huard on the injured list, Utah is down to true freshman Isaac Wilson and Luke Bottari as their last quarterbacks standing.

On the other side, Colorado comes armed with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. Need we say more? Utah’s defense, to their credit, won’t roll over—they rank 18th in passing yards allowed per game (175.0) and 19th in red-zone defense (75.0%).

Even so, Sanders and Hunter are poised to find opportunities, even against a tough secondary. Utah’s offense, however, tells the story of their struggles, ranking 114th in net points per drive and 112th in success rate—numbers that make it hard to stay competitive in shootouts. Factor in the emotional toll from the BYU loss and Colorado is primed to take advantage.

MORE: Simulate the College Football Season With CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor

Back the Buffs to win and cover against a banged-up Utah squad. As for the total, the under seems like the smart play in what could be a gritty, low-scoring battle.

Prediction: Colorado 30, Utah 13

College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.

2024-25 College Football Transfer Portal Tracker

Keep up with all the action using CFN's exclusive College Football Transfer Portal Tracker—your ultimate resource for following every player entering and exiting the portal.

Related Articles