NCAAF Week 1: Colorado vs. North Dakota State betting preview

Year 2 of the Deion Sanders era at Colorado gets underway on Thursday night against North Dakota State. The Buffaloes were the talk of the college football world when they upset TCU as 20-point underdogs in Week 1 and started off the season 3-0, but they fell apart down the stretch and finished with a disappointing 4-8 record.

After a roster overhaul through the transfer portal this offseason, Sanders is looking to improve upon a rough first campaign. Will that start against North Dakota State?

Colorado Buffaloes vs. North Dakota State Bison preview

Colorado has the weapons to be one of the most explosive offenses in the country this year. Shedeur Sanders is a top NFL draft prospect at quarterback, and Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. make up a dynamic duo at wide receiver. The big question is whether Sanders will have enough time to get the ball in their hands. The Buffaloes ranked 132nd out of 133 FBS teams in sacks allowed last year (56), but they hit the transfer portal hard and replaced the entire starting offensive line. Assuming it'll be stronger in the trenches, Colorado should be able to avoid negative plays and create explosives down the field.

North Dakota State is an FCS program, but don't let that fool you. The Bison have won a ridiculous nine FCS national titles in the last 12 years, and they've racked up a number of FBS wins in that span. NDSU won't be an easy offense to defend because it likes to mix in two quarterbacks throughout the game. Cam Miller serves as the primary passing QB, and Cole Payton is used more in the run game. The Bison will put both quarterbacks on the field at the same time, especially in the red zone. This will be a stern test for Colorado's new-look front seven.

Colorado vs. NSDU best bets

First half over 29.5 (-110 BetMGM )

We expect a ton of points in this game, and that should start with some first-half fireworks. We saw how explosive Colorado's offense could be last season when Sanders had any time to throw. Assuming the offensive line has improved from a season ago, Sanders should have a field day through the air. North Dakota State is no slouch defensively, but this team isn't used to the blazing fast speed Colorado presents on the outside. Sanders is going to spread NDSU out and go for the jugular early.

The Buffaloes should be much stronger along their defensive line, but they'll still have trouble slowing down NDSU's sophisticated rushing attack. It will take Colorado a half to adjust to the Bison's two-quarterback system.

Cam Miller anytime touchdown scorer (+158 FanDuel )

Miller is the primary passing QB for North Dakota State, but he's still a fantastic runner. The veteran signal-caller actually led the Bison in rush attempts last year with 135, and he scored a team-high 13 touchdowns on the ground. This price doesn't factor in how much NDSU uses him in the running game.

Long-shot future

We're not done just yet. Colorado is one of the most volatile teams in the country heading into the season. The Buffaloes have all the talent in the world at the skill positions, but will patching up the trenches with transfers actually improve the team? Maybe, maybe not. Despite his 4-8 debut last year, Sanders is developing an even bigger ego and beefing with beat reporters before the season has kicked off.

Colorado is still a roster that lacks depth at key positions. If injuries start to pile up, the Buffaloes could fall off an even bigger cliff than last year considering how quickly Sanders seems ready to snap. The schedule is also much tougher this year in the Big 12 than it was last year in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes might be underdogs in eight straight games to close out the season.

With how low the floor is for this team, there has to be value in the alternate markets. Let's sprinkle a few bucks on the Buffaloes to win exactly three games this season at +750.