This Saturday, we’re off to Boulder, Colorado, for a crucial matchup between the Colorado Buffalo and Baylor Bears. With this week kicking off the first week of Big12 conference play, it’s an important week to get off to a good start. Colorado and Baylor are coming into this one with a 2-1 start in non-conference play. Colorado was able to take out in-state rival Colorado State last weekend handily. Shedeur Sanders had a standout game against the Rams with 310 passing yards and four touchdowns. Linking up with Travis Hunter for 100 yards and 2 TD alone, the tandem is becoming one of the best in this early college football season.
This game against Baylor will be a real test for Colorado, as Baylor has been able to score heaps this season. They dropped 31 on Air Force last week behind an impressive day from Sawyer Robertson at QB and Bryson Washington’s rushing game. There is controversy in the Baylor locker room, though, as a QB battle continues to rage. Dequan Finn started week one with Baylor after transferring from Toledo. Following Sawyers's first start against Air Force, we still don’t know who will be the starter against the Buffs. We’ll have to wait and see for the announcement, but either way, this matchup will be worth watching.
This is a close one on the betting side of things. Currently, the line spread is 1.5, with Colorado as the favorite. That feels accurate, considering Baylor still doesn’t know who their starting quarterback will be, nor has their competition been intense besides a week two loss against Utah. Baylor did manage to win handily in weeks 1 and 3, though, with a defense that has a strong chance to shine in this matchup.
Colorado is the favorite at home, which makes sense, but we also worry about this roster. As an incredibly pass-heavy team, they’ll have to get past this Baylor defense that held Utah to 122 yards in the air. It could be ugly if Baylor can remove the passing game from Colorado. The offensive line for Colorado has struggled to get going this year. Letting pressure through consistently and rarely getting the push on the few run plays the Buffs run. With the game plan out in the air for the Buffs, Baylor has to keep on the offensive end of the field to stay in this one. We’d probably lean towards Baylor on this one, as they appear to be the more.
We like the plus odds on the moneyline bet. Baylor looks like the more complete team on both sides of the ball. Even though they are still figuring out the QB situation, they have a deep roster. The Colorado defense still has a lot of work to do, primarily their secondary. Beyond Travis Hunter, who is playing both sides of the ball, the corner situation for Colorado needs improvement. We think the Bears will be able to move the ball multiple ways against the Buffs and slow down the offensive enough to pull this one out.
This game is full of top-tier offense, especially with Colorado. Hunter is at a different level for this Colorado offense. He has been one of Sander's best options, and with the amount he tosses the ball, it pays off. This Baylor squad can’t be slept on either, putting up 45 against Tarleton State and 31 on Air Force. They can score. We think this one will be a high-scoring game regardless of the direction it swings. We could easily see both of these teams scoring over 30 points each this Saturday. At -110 currently, it’s a solid bet.