The 93rd edition of the Rocky Mountain Showdown takes place on Saturday, when Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes (1-1) hit the road to take on the Colorado State Rams (1-1). Last year's matchup was one of the most-viewed games of the entire season, with Shedeur Sanders and Coach Prime leading the Buffs to a 43-35 win in double overtime. The Buffs enter Saturday looking to bounce back from a 28-10 loss to Nebraska. Travis Hunter caught 10 passes for 110 yards in the loss. The Rams are looking to build off their 38-17 win over Northern Colorado. CSU is looking for its first win over Colorado since 2014. Safety Shilo Sanders (forearm) is out for CU.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins. The Buffaloes are 7.5-point favorites, per SportsLine consensus, in the latest Colorado vs. Colorado State odds. The over/under for total points is 58.5. Before entering any Colorado State vs. Colorado picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.
Saturday's game can also be seen live on CBS and streamed live on Paramount+ with their must-have Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan (get 50% off first year of annual plan now until 9/22/24).
The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a profit of over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also coming off a profitable 13-9 season on top-rated spread picks and is off to a 4-0 start on over/under picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.
The model has set its sights on Colorado vs. Colorado State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines for the spread, money line and over/under:
- Colorado State vs. Colorado spread: Colorado -7.5
- Colorado State vs. Colorado over/under: 58.5 points
- Colorado State vs. Colorado money line: Colorado -292, CSU +231
- Colorado State vs. Colorado picks: See picks here
- Colorado State vs. Colorado streaming: Paramount+ (get 50% off first year of annual plan now until 9/22/24)
Why Colorado State can cover
Colorado State pushed Colorado throughout this rivalry meeting last year, ultimately losing in double overtime. The Rams easily covered the spread as 23-point underdogs in that contest, and they are coming off a 38-17 win over Northern Colorado. Sophomore quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi completed 17 of 26 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown.
Sophomore running back Keegan Holles rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown, while freshman Justin Marshall rushed for 67 yards. The Rams have not hosted Colorado in decades, so there will be a different level of energy on campus this weekend. The Buffaloes have only won two of their last 18 road games, and they are coming off a 28-10 loss at Nebraska. See which team to pick here.
Why Colorado can cover
Travis Hunter may be the best player on the field on both sides of the ball on Saturday. On defense, Hunter will likely match up frequently with Colorado State wide receiver Tory Horton, who had 16 catches against the Buffs in 2023. If Hunter can limit the productivity of Horton, the Buffs can make a bigger commitment to slowing down CSU's rushing attack.
Offensively, Hunter has the potential to blow this game wide open. The former five-star recruit has game-breaking speed, and his ball skills in the red zone are elite. With Will Sheppard, Jimmy Horn Jr., and LaJohntay Wester also in the mix, it will be difficult for the Rams to commit more than one player to defending Hunter. See which team to pick here.
How to make Colorado State vs. Colorado picks
The model has simulated Colorado vs. Colorado State 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Colorado State vs. Colorado, and which side of the spread is hitting well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Colorado vs. Colorado State spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that's up over $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.
