Head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes (4-2, 1-2 Pac-12) can take a giant step towards bowl eligibility when they host the Stanford Cardinal (1-4, 0-3 Pac-12) at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. on Friday night. The Buffs are coming off a hard-fought 27-24 win over Arizona State where quarterback Shedeur Sanders led the team on a late fourth quarter drive to set up the game-winning field goal. Stanford is coming off a bye week, and lost in its last outing 42-6 to No. 8 Oregon. The all-time series is tied 6-6, with CU winning the last meeting 35-32 in 2020. Two-way star Travis Hunter (liver) is expected to return to action for the Buffs.
Kickoff is set for 10 p.m. ET on Friday. The Buffaloes are 12.5-point favorites in the latest SportsLine consensus Stanford vs. Colorado odds, while the over/under is 59.5 points. Before making any Colorado vs. Stanford 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, going 11-4 on his best bets in the Buffs' first five games, including a 5-1 mark in the CU vs. USC game. He's also 19-6 on all of his CFB best bets for SportsLine this season so far. Anyone who has followed his picks is way up.
Now, he has set his sights on Colorado vs. Stanford 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 Stanford vs. Colorado:
- Colorado vs. Stanford spread: Colorado -12.5
- Colorado vs. Stanford over/under: 59.5 points
- Colorado vs. Stanford money line: Colorado -502, Stanford +372
- CU: WR Xavier Weaver has 43 catches for 503 yards and four touchdowns.
- STAN: Averages 149.6 rushing yards per game.
- Colorado vs. Stanford picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Colorado vs. Stanford live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Colorado can cover
Colorado is expected to have its best player back in action after Coach Prime said there is a "tremendous chance" that two-way star Travis Hunter makes his first game appearance since suffering a lacerated liver against Colorado State in Week 3. Hunter gives the Buffs an elite cornerback in their secondary, and an explosive playmaker with game-breaking speed on the offensive side of the ball. While Hunter likely won't be in good enough shape to be in on 120+ plays, his presence will give the Buffs an added boost on both sides of the ball. Hunter enters this matchup with 16 catches for 213 yards, and nine tackles, two pass break ups, and one interception on the defensive side of the ball.
The Buffs also have a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback in Shedeur Sanders. The junior signal caller has taken 30 sacks in six games, but has still managed to be one of the most productive offensive players in the country. Sanders enters this matchup completing 72.7% of his pass attempts for 2,020 yards, 16 touchdowns, and two interceptions. He's also added three touchdowns on the ground. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
Why Stanford can cover
Stanford is well rested heading into this game, as it played three straight home games before having the week off last week. Outside of games against USC and Oregon, Stanford's defense has held its other three opponents to 30 points or less. The Cardinal have scored at least 20 points in all three of those games as well, covering the spread twice during that span.
Colorado played back-to-back games against top-10 opponents before escaping with a narrow win at Arizona State last week, leaving the Buffaloes fatigued heading into a short week. They have only covered the spread once in their last four games, as the betting market has made an appropriate adjustment to Sanders' hot start in Boulder. Stanford has covered the spread in four of its last five games in Week 7. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Stanford vs. Colorado picks
Kaylor has analyzed this matchup from every angle and he's going Under 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. Stanford, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Colorado vs. Stanford picks, all from the expert who has covered college football for over a decade and is 11-4 on his Colorado best bets in 2023, and find out.
