Colorado vs. Colorado State odds, line, spread, time: Expert picks, prediction for Deion Sanders rivalry debut

Coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes (2-0) will be on the other side of a large spread for the first time when they take on the Colorado State Rams (0-1) in the 2023 Rocky Mountain Showdown on Saturday. Coach Prime’s squad stunned TCU as a 21-point underdog in Week 1 and then handled Nebraska as a small favorite in Week 2. Colorado State, meanwhile, has played just one game, losing to Washington State 50-24. Colorado has won the last five in the series and has a 67-22-2 all-time mark against its in-state rival.

Kickoff is at 10 p.m. ET at Folsom Field in Boulder. The SportsLine consensus Colorado vs. Colorado State odds list the Buffaloes as 23.5-point favorites. The over/under is up to 63.5 after opening at 59. Before making any Colorado State vs. Colorado picks or 2023 Rocky Mountain Showdown bets, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine football expert Jimmie Kaylor. 

Kaylor is a NFL, college football and DFS expert for SportsLine, who has covered the NFL and college football for close to 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 locking in his betting picks. As a Colorado native, he has his finger on the pulse of the local and national sports scene and has been cashing big on Denver area teams for the last two years. 

In last week’s CU vs. Nebraska game, Kaylor nailed both of his picks, calling for the Buffs to cover (-2.5) and the game to go Under on the point total (58). Anyone who has followed his picks is way up.

Now, he has set his sights on Colorado vs. Colorado State and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Kaylor’s picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Colorado State vs. Colorado:

Why Colorado can cover

Despite facing two Power Five opponents already, Colorado’s offense is averaging 40.5 points and 509.5 yards per game. A year after averaging just 172.9 yards per game through the air, the Buffaloes have averaged 453 yards of passing through two weeks. Junior quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of Deion Sanders, has vaulted into the Heisman conversation after completing 77.5% of his passes for 903 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions thus far.

Four players already have more than 140 receiving yards — receivers Xavier Weaver, Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. and running back Dylan Edwards. This could end up being a nightmare matchup for a CSU secondary that gave up 466 yards of passing against Washington State in the opener. See who to back at SportsLine. 

Why Colorado State can cover

Colorado State starting quarterback Clay Millen struggled before leaving the Washington State game with an injury, completing just 19 of 33 passes for 151 yards and an interception. Freshman Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi had an optimistic performance in relief, going 9 of 12 for 172 yards and two touchdowns. He will get the start on Saturday night, and the early bye week has given him extra time to prepare for this matchup.

Meanwhile, Colorado is coming off a pair of emotional games and has not had as much time to scout Colorado State. The Buffaloes are generating almost all of the betting action in this matchup, making it hard to justify any remaining value on them. Colorado State has covered the spread in six of its last seven trips to Boulder, and it has covered in four of its last five games overall. See who to back at SportsLine. 

How to make Colorado vs. Colorado State picks

Kaylor has analyzed this matchup from every angle and he’s leaning Over on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Colorado vs. Colorado State in the 2023 Rocky Mountain Showdown, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Colorado vs. Colorado State picks, all from the expert who has covered college football for over a decade and is 3-0 on his Colorado best bets in 2023, and find out.