For over 100 years, the Wyoming Cowboys and Colorado State Rams have collided on the college football field, competing in a game known simply as the Border War. On Friday night, that rivalry is renewed once more on CBS Sports Network.
Who comes out on top? Our Wyoming vs. Colorado State prediction breaks down everything you need to know—from the latest betting odds to each team’s outlook for the remainder of the 2024 college football season.
Wyoming vs. Colorado State Betting Preview
All Wyoming vs. Colorado State odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. The CFN Spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.
- CFN FPM Spread
Colorado State -12.5 - Spread
Colorado State -10.5 - Moneyline
Colorado State -380, Wyoming +300 - Over/Under
48 points - Game time
8 p.m. ET - Location
Canvas Stadium | Fort Collins, CO - Predicted Weather at Kick
30 degrees, clear to partly cloudy, 5 mph winds - How to Watch
CBS Sports Network
Friday night marks the 116th edition of the Border War, as Colorado State and Wyoming bring their rivalry into the 2024 season. The Rams hold a narrow 59-51-5 head-to-head advantage after 115 editions, but the Cowboys have won the last three, including the last time they met in Fort Collins.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
However, in the midst of two very different seasons, Colorado State is a comfortable favorite. The Rams have won all six games this season when expected to and against much tighter odds than they’re given in this one. Although Wyoming has overcome underdog status twice this year and covered the spread in four games, everything here favors another Rams win in 2024.
Wyoming’s Winning Probability
According to the CFN FPM, Wyoming has a 17.4% chance of beating Colorado State on Friday night. While our metric has been largely accurate in projecting a difficult season, the Cowboys did win against our odds against the Air Force Falcons and New Mexico Lobos.
Here are the remaining win probabilities for Wyoming in the 2024 season:
- at Colorado State: 17.4%
- vs. Boise State: 5.6%
- at Washington State: 5.2%
If those win probabilities were to hold true, the Cowboys would end the year with a 2-10 record, including a 2-5 record in the Mountain West. Taking over from Craig Bohl was always going to be difficult, and so it has proved for Jay Sawvel in his first year.
Colorado State’s Winning Probability
Conversely, Colorado State has an 82.6% chance of beating Wyoming on Friday night. Our metric has been in lockstep with the Rams this season, accurately projecting each of their six wins and three losses while having a spread line closer to the actual result in the Rocky Mountain Showdown than the oddsmakers.
Here are the remaining win probabilities for Colorado State in the 2024 season:
- vs. Wyoming: 82.6%
- at Fresno State: 57.4%
- vs. Utah State: 75.1%
If those win probabilities were to hold true, the Rams would end the year with a 9-3 record, including a perfect 7-0 conference record. Jay Norvell’s team has their destiny in their own hands. Win all the games above, as projected, and they’ll be in the Mountain West Championship Game against all preseason bets.
Prediction for Wyoming vs. Colorado State
Just 65 miles separates Wyoming and Colorado State, but the gulf between the two teams has been much greater than the distance between their campuses this season. While the Rams still have their eyes on a place in the Mountain West Championship Game, the Cowboys have nothing but pride left to play for after missing out on bowl eligibility this season.
Sometimes, pride is all you need, especially in a rivalry game. Can Wyoming parlay that into a third win of the season as they look to build momentum off a win over New Mexico? Or will Colorado State continue its march toward a place in the Mountain West Championship Game? Who has the upper hand in this rivalry matchup, and where will the key battles be fought?
It’s easy to look at their overall record and rankings for scoring offense and defense and instantly wipe away any notion of Wyoming being competitive in this game. Yet, a rivalry game brings out the best in a team, and in the win over New Mexico, the Cowboys showed that there is a “best” version of themselves waiting to be unleashed at any given moment.
Harrison Waylee made his season debut against the Lobos and rushed for 170 yards and a score. His bullying yet electric presence has been sorely missed this season, and an offense averaging just 21.6 points per game is a very different unit with the star in the backfield. Kaden Anderson put on a show against UNM unlike any we’ve seen from a Cowboys QB this year.
While their offense showed a sign of a spark last time out, the Cowboys’ defense has been a problem all season long. Under Bohl, Wyoming had been a gritty bastion defensively, but this season, they’ve shipped 31.7 points per game. They’ve been gashed by explosive plays on the ground and through the air, destroying their work as the second-best Mountain West red zone unit.
Colorado State has the weapons to exploit this consistently. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi has the fourth-most 30+ yard passing plays in the conference. Caleb Goodie has been an explosive receiver for the team, helping fill the gap in the passing game caused by Tory Horton’s injury.
Yet, it’s Avery Morrow and his explosive impact on the run game, combined with a defense that likes to hit you in the mouth (second in the Moutain West for forced fumbles) that should steer the Rams to victory in the 2024 Border War and keep them alive in the race to conference championship game.
Prediction: Wyoming 17, Colorado State 31
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