Head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes (4-5, 1-5 Pac-12) look to snap a three-game losing streak when they host the No. 21 Arizona Wildcats (6-3, 4-2 Pac-12) on Saturday. The Buffs are looking to bounce back from a 26-19 loss to Oregon State where quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked four times, bringing his season total to 45. Arizona has won three straight games, all against ranked opponents, after beating UCLA 27-10 in their last outing. The Wildcats clinched bowl eligibility for the first time since 2017 with the win. Colorado leads the all-time series 16-9.
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET at Folsom Field in Boulder. The Wildcats are 9.5-point favorites in the Arizona vs. Colorado odds from SportsLine consensus. The over/under is 54.5. Before making any Colorado vs. Arizona picks, 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.
Kaylor has been red-hot on his Colorado picks this season, which included a 5-1 mark in the CU vs. USC game. He's also 51-22-2 on all of his CFB best bets this season so far. Anyone who has followed his picks is way up.
Now, he has set his sights on Colorado vs. Arizona 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 Arizona vs. Colorado:
- Arizona vs. Colorado spread: Arizona -9.5
- Arizona vs. Colorado over/under: 54.5 points
- Arizona vs. Colorado money line: Colorado +283, Arizona -364
- CU: The Buffs are 5-3-1 against the spread in 2023.
- ARIZ: The Wildcats are 7-1 against the spread in 2023.
- Arizona vs. Colorado picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Arizona vs. Colorado live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Colorado can cover
The Buffs have covered the spread in back-to-back games against ranked opponents. They will have the advantage of playing this game in front of a sold out crowd in the last game at Folsom Field in Coach Prime's first season.
Former NFL head coach Pat Shurmur will be calling the offensive plays for CU again this week after taking over the role last week. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders continues to get hit frequently, but is playing well, completing 70.1% of his passes for 2,882 yards, 24 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Travis Hunter continues to be impactful on both sides of the ball with 40 catches for 458 yards and three TDs on offense, and 20 tackles and three interceptions on defense. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
Why Arizona can cover
With their 27-10 win over UCLA last Saturday, the Wildcats recorded their third straight win over a ranked opponent, which was a first in program history. Arizona is one of the most improved defensive teams in the country, going from allowing 36.5 points per game last season to allowing 19.8 points per game this season. Leading the way for the Wildcats defensive resurgence has been linebackers Taylor Upshaw (17 tackles, 7.5 sacks) and Jacob Manu (75 tackles, 4.5 sacks).
Offensively, Arizona ranks near the top of the Pac-12 in nearly every major statistical category. Redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Fifita has been outstanding since taking over for an injured Jayden de Laura in the fourth game of the season. Fifita has completed 76.2% of his passes for 1,521 yards, 14 touchdowns, and four interceptions. His top targets have been wide receivers Tetairoa McMillan (52 catches, 753 yards, seven TDs) and Jacob Cowing (69 catches, 510 yards, nine TDs). See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Arizona vs. Colorado picks
Kaylor has analyzed this matchup from every angle and he's going 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. Arizona, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Colorado vs. Arizona picks, all from the expert who has covered college football for over a decade and is 51-22-2 on his CFB best bets in 2023, and find out.
