Can Travis Hunter spark the Buffs?

Putting aside the excitement surrounding Deion Sanders for a moment, Colorado might actually be the real deal. Or maybe the Buffaloes are just on a winning streak and a few wobbles with a record that is bound to collapse. Either way, the Big 12 is wide open and Colorado has a chance to clinch the top spot this Saturday.

But the Kansas State Wildcats stand in their way. There were concerns that sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson could make a mistake and cost K-State the win they should have secured. That happened at BYU, but Johnson recovered and now the Wildcats are 4-1. Can they keep the momentum going in the always unpredictable Big 12?

Check out our Kansas State vs. Colorado prediction to see which team we’re rooting for.

Kansas State vs. Colorado betting preview

All Kansas State vs. Colorado Odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are as of Saturday, October 12, 2024. CFN spreads are from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.

• CFN FPM spread
  Kansas State -2.5
• Spread
  Kansas State -3
• Money line
  Kansas State -155, Colorado +130
• Over/Under
  55.5 points
• Playtime
  October 12, 10:15 p.m. ET
• Location
  Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado.
• Predicted weather at Kick
  66 degrees, cloudy, wind speed 6 mph
• Here’s how to watch
  ESPN

If you were there early on in this case, good for you. This game started with Kansas State -6 and was bet low all week. Just hours before kickoff, it almost reached the point where the College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter has always stood: -3 in favor of KSU.

MORE: CFN Betting Parlay Calculator

This type of move is expected with the “Deion Effect,” but this felt like something different as smart bettors intervened early to move the line.

Kansas State vs Colorado Prediction

As much as I enjoy watching the Buffaloes, I’m not entirely sold yet. Their schedule was a bit of a gift as it allowed them to improve their record against teams that had proven disappointing. Since then, we’ve seen that UCF isn’t as strong as originally thought, and that Dave Aranda’s situation at Baylor is as close to lame-duck status as it gets.

Still, Colorado needed a Hail Mary and a game-saving forced fumble from Travis Hunter to get past.

Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are electrifying players to watch and I think the defense has improved compared to last season. But the offensive line is still a glaring weakness, and they struggled to move the ball against the only top-40 SP+ defense they’ve ever faced.

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While Sanders and Hunter could be worth 12-14 points alone, Kansas State is a more complete team overall.

I expect Avery Johnson to have success on both the ground and in the air, and more importantly, DJ Giddens could have a field day against Colorado’s top line. If Giddens gets going, the Buffaloes won’t be able to keep up.

I’m not ready to buy into Colorado yet. If they manage to win this game I’ll reconsider, but for now I’ll give them up against stronger competition. Back the Wildcats and lean down – I don’t think Colorado will muster much more than 20.

Forecast: Kansas State 31, Colorado 23

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