quinn-ewers-usatsi-cbs-2.jpg
USATSI

The No. 4 Texas Longhorns open the 2024 college football season with a home game against the Colorado State Rams of the Mountain West. The Longhorns made the move to the SEC in 2024, and once again have national championship aspirations. Head coach Steve Sarkisian returns 15 total starters, including four offensive linemen and quarterback Quinn Ewers, from last year's team that went 12-2 and made the program's first appearance in the College Football Playoff. The Rams enter their third season under head coach Jay Norvell with their sites set on making their first bowl game since 2017. 

Kickoff from Memorial Stadium in Austin is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. The Longhorns are favored by 34.5 points in the latest Texas vs. Colorado State odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under is 60.5 points, up half a point from the opener. Before making any Colorado State vs. Texas picks, you need to see the Week 1 college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's Jimmie Kaylor. 

Kaylor is an 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. He has his finger on the pulse of the college football landscape and has been cashing in big for the last two years. 

Kaylor destroyed the books in college football in 2023, netting a whopping 57.9 units while posting a 107-45-2 record. Anyone who followed his picks finished the season way up.

Now, Kaylor has dialed in on Texas vs. Colorado State on Saturday and just revealed his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines on the spread, money line and over/under for Colorado State vs. Texas:

  • Texas vs. Colorado State vs. Texas spread: Texas -34.5
  • Texas vs. Colorado State over/under: 60.5 points 
  • Texas vs. Colorado State money line: Texas -7500, Colorado State +2500
  • Texas vs. Colorado State picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Texas can cover

Texas has a significant advantage in overall talent and depth. The Longhorns project to have one of college football's best offensive lines, and Colorado State is considered to be undersized up front on the defensive side of the ball. Texas has to replace multiple wide receivers from last year, but Sarkisian and his staff landed an outstanding group of high school recruits and transfers, led by five-star signee Ryan Wingo and five-star transfer Isaiah Bond, who played for Alabama in 2023. 

Texas also have a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender in junior quarterback Quinn Ewers. In 2023, Ewers completed 69% of his passes for 3,479 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 75 yards and five scores. See which team to pick here.

Why Colorado State can cover

The Rams have an explosive offense, and will be playing with nothing to lose in this matchup. CSU averaged 26.1 points per game in 2023, but struggled mightily when it came to turning the ball over. This should improve in 2024, as it was one of the coaching staff's biggest points of emphasis during the offseason. 

Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi is experienced, and brings a dual-threat skillset to the table. His top target, senior wide receiver Tory Horton, is arguably the best player at his position in the entire Group of 5. This combination has the ability to test a relatively unproven Texas secondary. Lastly, there is a very strong likelihood that Texas has already started looking ahead to its matchup with Michigan in Week 2. See which team to pick here.

How to make Colorado State vs. Texas picks

Kaylor has analyzed Colorado State vs. Texas 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.

So who wins Colorado State vs. Texas in Austin on Saturday, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the expert who profited $5,790 for $100 college football bettors in 2023, and find out.