Colorado vs. Arizona prediction, odds, line, spread: 2024 college football picks, Week 8 bets by proven model
By CBS Sports Staff,
2 days ago
The Arizona Wildcats look to please a sold-out Homecoming crowd as they host the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday afternoon. Arizona (3-3) fell last week at No. 14 BYU, 41-19, while Colorado was tripped up at home by No. 18 Kansas State, 31-28. The Wildcats have won five of the last seven matchups against the Buffaloes, including a 34-31 road victory on a last second Tyler Loop field goal in 2023. Arizona is 1-5 against the spread, while Colorado is 4-2 ATS in 2024. Two-way star Travis Hunter (shoulder) is expected to play for Colorado after exiting last week's game.
The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks , and it is 12-5 on all top-rated picks for sports betting over the past three weeks of this season. Anyone who has followed it on sports betting apps has seen strong returns.
Colorado vs. Arizona streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Colorado can cover
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders is in consideration for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft because he continues to make highlight-reel plays for his team's offense. The son of coach Deion Sanders has thrown for 2,018 yards and 17 touchdowns this season despite continuing to be sacked at an abundant rate (23 times this season after 52 sacks in 2023). Sanders ranks fourth in the nation in passing yards and could be a candidate for All-America teams if his tremendous play continues.
Hunter is one of the most dynamic players in college football and he should also hear his name early in the 2025 NFL Draft. On offense, Hunter has 49 receptions for 587 yards and six touchdowns, with opposing teams focusing on stopping him on nearly every play. On defense, he has 16 tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble. Against a Wildcats secondary missing key pieces, Sanders and Hunter should have a field day in what looks to be a high-scoring affair. See which team to pick here .
Why Arizona can cover
This is close to a must-win game for an Arizona team at risk of losing the support of a delicate fanbase with the 2024 season not having gone according to plan. Quarterback Noah Fifita won nine straight starts in 2023-24 but is only 1-3 since then, having thrown an interception in eight straight games. He may not find as much success through the air this week either, as Colorado is only allowing 226 yards passing per game.
If Arizona's passing attack is to find its rhythm this week, Fifita's high school teammate, Tetairoa McMillan , should be heavily involved. After scoring four touchdowns in the season opener, he's been held scoreless since then, a trend that will likely have to change for Arizona to contend for the victory. Against the Buffaloes last year, McMillan caught nine passes for 107 yards and a score. See which team to pick here .
How to make Colorado vs. Arizona picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 65 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine .
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.