Perhaps the most intriguing Week 1 college football game — ahead of the weekend, at least — features the North Dakota State Bison taking on the Colorado Buffaloes. This FCS vs. FBS clash takes place Thursday, Aug. 29, at 8 p.m. ET.
Colorado is one of the nation’s most infamous teams. The Buffaloes started the year off strong last fall, going 3-0 with a win over No. 17 TCU, before trodding to a 1-8 record the rest of the way. The defense was downright awful, and Colorado kept making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
North Dakota State may be unknown to most, but that’s no reason to sleep on them. The Bison have gone 7-4 against FBS teams since 2006, with three of those losses coming by three points or less. The program has earned nine FCS titles since 2011.
Can the Bison pull off another upset and shock the Buffaloes? Here are the latest NDSU vs. Colorado odds, plus my prediction for this Week 1 showdown.
North Dakota State vs Colorado Odds
College football odds are current as of Friday, Aug. 23, and courtesy of bet365 Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: North Dakota State (+275) vs Colorado (-350)
- Spread: North Dakota State +9 (-110) vs Colorado -9 (-110)
- Over/Under: Over 59 (-110) / Under 59 (-110)
North Dakota State vs Colorado Prediction
Colorado 41, North Dakota State 27
Colorado has once again been busy in the transfer portal, beefing up the roster on both sides of the ball ahead of this year’s season-opener. Among those added are wideouts LaJohntay Wester (Florida Atlantic) and Will Sheppard (Vanderbilt), giving QB Shedeur Sanders even more weapons in addition to Travis Hunter.
It remains to be seen how much better the offense will be, but Colorado needs better production from its defense to silence the critics. The Buffaloes allowed opponents to score 34.8 points per game in 2023 — the 10th-most in the nation — a weakness that North Dakota State may be able to take advantage of.
The Bison scored 47 rushing touchdowns to 22 passing this past season, symbolizing their preference to go right at the teeth of the defense. Colorado ranked 102nd with over 176 rushing yards allowed per game last fall, so we should expect NDSU to opt for a run-heavy attack.
The Buffaloes are right to be on upset alert, but ultimately, the talent gap here is substantial. Colorado will need to treat its opponent with respect, but even with a few errors here and there, it should be able to skate by the Bison.
Sportsbook Play of the Day
North Dakota State vs Colorado Best Bets
Colorado -9 (-110) vs North Dakota State
Despite its struggles last year, Colorado went 4-2 against the spread in home games. There will be a lot of eyes — and pressure — on this team to begin the season, and despite this being a somewhat risky matchup, I’m comfortable backing the Buffaloes to cover this 9-point spread.
I don’t think Colorado will have an answer for the Bison’s ground game, but this team’s preference to air it out should work in their favor.
Expect the Buffaloes to put up enough points to distance themselves from a pesky North Dakota State squad and make this your college football bet of the day.
Over 59 Points (-110)
Colorado and high-scoring games go hand-in-hand, so it’s no surprise to see this one listed at 59 points. Six of the Buffaloes’ games went Over this total in 2023, and they had two finish a hair below the 90-point mark.
North Dakota State’s preferred style of play will slow the game down a bit, but Colorado’s lax defense should also enable the Bison to score early and often. In any case, it’s tough to go against the Over when you’re dealing with an offense as explosive as the Buffaloes’.
