Colorado vs. North Dakota State predictions, odds: Expert college football picks 2024, best bets from Deion Sanders

The second year of the Deion Sanders era in Colorado begins Thursday when the Buffaloes host the North Dakota State Bison. The Buffs look to improve on their 4-8 record in 2023 and qualify for the program’s first bowl game since the Covid-shortened 2020 season. Coach Prime has rebuilt his offensive and defensive lines and brought back two of college football’s biggest stars in quarterback Shedeur Sanders and standout two-way player Travis Hunter. The Bison are ranked No. 2 in the country at the FCS level and have key players back at several positions, including Walter Payton Award candidate Cam Miller. NDSU is led by first-year head coach Tim Polasek, who was on the staff for four of the program’s nine FCS national championships. All-American safety Cole Wisniewski (foot) was ruled out for North Dakota State.

Kickoff at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado is set for 8 p.m. ET. The Buffaloes are favored by 10.5 points in the latest NDSU vs. Colorado odds, while the over/under is set at 55.5 points, according to the SportsLine consensus. Before you make your Colorado vs. North Dakota State picks, you need to check out SportsLine’s Jimmie Kaylor’s Week 1 college football predictions and betting tips.

Kaylor is an NFL, college football and DFS expert for SportsLine who has covered the NFL and college football for nearly a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. His background as a former college football All-American and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and setting his betting picks. He has his finger on the pulse of the college football landscape and has made a lot of money over the past two years.

Kaylor broke all college football records in 2023, scoring a whopping 57.9 units and posting a record of 107-45-2. Anyone who followed his picks finished the season high.

Now Kaylor has tuned in to Colorado vs. NDSU on Thursday and just announced his picks and predictions. You can head over to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college football odds and college football betting odds for the spread, money line and over/under for NDSU vs. Colorado:

• North Dakota State vs. Colorado Spread: Colorado -10.5
• North Dakota State vs. Colorado over/under: 55.5 points
• North Dakota State vs. Colorado – Winning odds: Colorado -400, NDSU +320
• North Dakota State vs. Colorado picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Colorado can cover

The Buffs added 55 new scholarship players to their roster in the offseason and enter the season with a projected 5.5 regular season win total. After seeing Shedeur Sanders get sacked more times than any other FBS quarterback in the country, Coach Prime made improving his offensive line his top priority in the offseason. Colorado will have an entirely new group of starters on its offensive line, led by freshman left tackle Jordan Seaton, who was a five-star recruit and the top offensive tackle prospect in the 2024 recruiting class according to 247Sports.

The Buffs will also have the best player on the field Thursday night in two-way star Hunter. The former five-star recruit was named a preseason All-American by most major publications and has the ability to change the outcome of games on both sides of the ball. As a wide receiver in 2023, Hunter caught 57 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns. As a cornerback, Hunter made three interceptions and recorded 30 total tackles. See which team to pick here.

Why the State of North Dakota Can Cover

The Bison have won nine of the last 13 national championships at the FCS level. New head coach Polasek was an offensive assistant for the 2011 and 2012 championship teams and offensive coordinator for the 2014 and 2015 championship teams. He takes over a team that returns a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, including quarterbacks Miller and Cole Payton.

Miller is the team’s undisputed starter and a candidate for preseason FCS All-America selection. He returns to the Bison after completing 72% of his passes for 2,688 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions and rushing for 629 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023. Payton is an excellent runner who plays a role for the Bison comparable to Taysom Hill’s with the New Orleans Saints. In 2023, Payton threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 615 yards and 13 scores. See which team to pick here.

How to make your picks for North Dakota State vs. Colorado

Kaylor has analyzed Colorado vs. North Dakota State from every angle and is leaning toward the under on the total score. He’s also discovered a key X-factor that has him jumping to one side of the spread. He shares what it is and which side to bet on only with SportsLine.

So who will win Colorado over North Dakota State on Thursday in Boulder, and what crucial X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-win? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you should jump on, all from the expert who made $5,790 in profit on $100 college football bets in 2023, and find out.