Colorado vs North Dakota State Predictions, Odds & Picks (Thursday, Aug. 29)

• Colorado vs North Dakota State highlights the Thursday CFB schedule
• Deion Sanders and the Buffs are 10-point favorites over the FCS Bison
• Read below for Colorado vs NDSU prediction, odds, and picks

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes begin their 2024 college football season with a huge showdown against the FCS North Dakota State Bison on Thursday night. The Week 1 CFB odds favor Coach Prime’s team to handle business.

Kickoff for Thursday’s college football game is at 8:00 pm ET, with ESPN carrying the broadcast nationally. We’ve made our Colorado vs North Dakota State prediction, siding with the underdog against the spread.

Let’s dive into Colorado vs NDSU odds and provide you with some guidance for your CFB picks.

Colorado vs NDSU Odds

The latest North Dakota State vs Colorado odds show the Buffaloes as -10 favorites on the spread and -360 on the moneyline, which is 78.3% implied win probability.

The college football public betting trends show that money has been pouring in on the Buffs. CU originally opened as a smaller -7.5 favorite to cover.

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Buffs Betting Trends

Colorado looks to improve on a disappointing 4-8 record in 2023, Coach Prime’s inaugural year in Boulder. However, considering the Buffaloes won just a single game the previous year, 2023 can be considered a success for the program.

The Buffs have a dangerous offense led by returning pivot Shedeur Sanders. The Heisman Trophy longshot passed for 2,230 yards and 27 touchdowns last season while completing 69.3% of his passes. Two-way star Travis Hunter is back as one of Sanders’ top targets.

Keeping Sanders protected has been a focal part of Colorado’s offseason strategy. The Buffaloes’ offensive line struggled mightily in 2023, allowing 4.67 sacks per game (129th in FBS). The team has beefed up by adding several new starters, including five-star true freshman Jordan Seaton at tackle.

Defensively, CU has made notable additions to improve their pass rush and run defense. Transfers BJ Green II (Arizona State), Dayon Hayes (Pitt), and Samuel Okunlola (Pitt) are expected to make an immediate impact on the defensive line.

Although Colorado has made improvements on both sides of the ball, it’s hard to shake the memory of their six-game losing streak last season and 1-8 overall record in conference play. Only time will tell just how much better this squad truly is.

Bison Betting Trends

The North Dakota State Bison have been the class of the FCS division over the past decade, but the tide is starting to turn. NDSU has won nine of the last 13 FCS national championships, but South Dakota State has won two of the last three.

The primary question mark for the Bison is on the sidelines. Former legendary head coach Matt Entz has taken a defensive position with USC. In comes Tim Polasek, who previously served as the Bison’s offensive coordinator during their national championship runs in 2014 and 2015.

The power of SC is real.

Matt Entz left his post as a 2-time FCS National Champion head coach to become @uscfb’s new linebackers coach and assistant head coach for defense. pic.twitter.com/9IuXOkU0oy

— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) February 22, 2024

NDSU returns several key starters on both sides of the ball, including veteran quarterback Cam Miller and three All-Conference defensive players. Miller is an excellent dual-threat pivot who threw for nearly 3,000 yards with a 72% completion percentage in 2023. Miller also rushed for 629 yards.

The Bison’s deep roster of running backs, led by Owen Johnson and Barika Kpeenu, could be the determining factor in this game. NDSU ranked fourth in FCS rushing yards per game last season (237), while Colorado’s defense ranked second-last in the Pac-12 in rushing yards allowed (176).

Colorado vs North Dakota State Prediction

During Big 12 Media Days, Deion Sanders expressed regret that Colorado scheduled a game against NDSU. While the Bison are a division below the Buffs, they will provide a solid test for Colorado to determine how improved they actually are.

North Dakota State has a history of FBS upsets, going 6-1 in their last seven such matchups. I’m not writing off this FCS juggernaut because of a coaching change, especially considering the caliber of defense they are facing.

Little nugget on NDSU @ Colorado on Thursday night…

The FCS level doesn't have helmet communications but teams were allowed to do it when they play a FBS team.

That means they have to make the full investment in the system just for 1 game.

North Dakota St spent the money.

— Guy Haberman (@GuyHaberman) August 28, 2024

While I’m not going as far as to predict the outright upset, I like NDSU to cover the +10. Their rushing attack should help control the clock and prevent Colorado from blowing it open. Furthermore, I don’t trust CU’s unproven offensive line against an NDSU defensive front that averaged 2.53 sacks per game last season.

Colorado has failed to cover the number in four of its last five games against non-FBS teams. This CU team has too many new moving parts to confidently predict they will win by double digits against a top-tier FCS program in Week 1.

Colorado vs NDSU Pick:

• North Dakota State +10 (-110)