Colorado vs. Nebraska Betting Guide: 5 Tips For A Wild Week 2 Matchup

We’re two short days away from what’s perhaps Colorado’s most important game of the 2024 season. The Buffs will make the trip up to Lincoln for a week two matchup with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, rekindling one of college football’s most historic rivalries. Millions of eyes will be on Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes when they play on national TV this Saturday, which means a lot of people will throw a couple of bucks on this game. Here are some quick tips to help your betting experience go as smoothly as possible!

Tip #1: Stay away from the spread. (Nebraska -7)

Most sportsbooks are setting the spread around Nebraska -7, netting you -105 odds if you bet the Buffs to cover. As much as I hate to admit it, I think Vegas has got this one spot on. Favoring the Huskers by a touchdown feels correct heading into this game.

Betting on the spread for this game is just too risky in my eyes. Both teams completely transformed themselves from 2023 and their 2024 sample size is just too small after one week. We have no clue how these teams will look against top-level talent.

This game could be a blowout in either direction. It could also be a nail-biter that comes down to the final seconds. Nobody knows what to expect from this matchup because these teams are so unproven. If somebody tells you they’re confident about this game’s outcome, they’re lying.

tl;dr, this game is incredibly unpredictable, which doesn’t lend itself well to betting on the spread. Instead, I recommend just betting Colorado moneyline at +215. That’s a way better bang for your buck anyway.

Tip #2: Bet the over. (U/O 59)

The over/under for this matchup is set at around 59 points for most sportsbooks. I’m of the firm belief that the over is going to hit on Saturday.

Simply put, Colorado’s offense is explosive. Shedeur Sanders was lethal in week one against NDSU, dishing the ball out to Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn with ease. Expect them to put points on the board against a pretty run-of-the-mill Nebraska secondary.

Nebraska should win the rushing battle on Saturday, with their stellar offensive line and rotation of established running backs. Colorado’s defense struggles against NDSU, and Nebraska isn’t going to be any worse than the Bison.

Both teams shouldn’t have too much trouble putting points up. Unless one team continues to turn the ball over constantly (looking at you Jeff Simms), the Buffs and Huskers should put 30 points each. My final score prediction is 38-31, hitting the over by a pretty significant margin.

Tip #3: Don’t bet on Colorado’s running backs

Colorado had trouble establishing the run game last week against NDSU and Nebraska has an elite defensive line. That’s not a recipe for success for the Buffs and a huge tell for sports bettors.

Go into Saturday’s game with the expectation that Colorado isn’t going to be able to run the ball, plain and simple. If they couldn’t against the Bison last week, they won’t be able to against the Huskers. It’s probably a good idea to stay away from betting on Colorado’s running backs altogether and save your money on other bets that stand a better chance to hit.

Tip 4: Bet on Shedeur Sanders to ball out

Because the Buffs probably will have trouble on the ground against Nebraska, they’ll have to rely on Shedeur Sanders to drive them down the field. That means that he’ll probably get 40+ passing attempts, which would allow the Colorado quarterback to put up insane stats.

Admittedly, the lines for Shedeur’s passing yards aren’t that great on their own (only -575 for 250+ and -115 for 311+). When you parlay those with other bets, you can start to maximize the value of those lines a bit.

A parlay of Colorado moneyline, the total points over, and Shedeur Sanders 300+ passing yards has odds of +550 at the time of writing this. That’s a pretty good base! you can even throw some other stuff in there, like a Travis Hunter or Will Sheppard touchdown if you’re feeling extra spicy.

Tip 5: Bet on Will Sheppard anytime touchdown

This is my gut-feeling pick for the week. Sheppard had a quiet week against NDSU, but I have a feeling he’ll have a great game in Lincoln.

Sheppard is by far the biggest and most physical receiver on the roster. With Colorado’s assumed inability to work on the ground, his size could be an asset to the Buffs. Putting Sheppard on shorter routes could be a reliable way to pick up yards if the run game doesn’t work.

Speeding past Nebraska’s secondary isn’t going to work like last week against the Bison either, so Shedeur might have to rely more on Sheppard’s 6-foot-3 frame for 50/50 balls. In short, be on the lookout for a big game from Colorado’s X receiver.

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