NFL Hall of Fame member Deion Sanders has always stolen the spotlight, whether in his playing days as an elite cornerback, as an on-air sports personality, starring in a commercial, or coaching on the sidelines.
Following his resounding success at Jackson State, the Colorado Buffaloes came calling, granting him full control of a football program that was one of the worst in the Pac-12 and in the entire country last season.
Sanders immediately informed last year’s roster that he would be revamping the team and suggested that they enter the transfer portal. As such, Deion brought in over 80 transfer athletes from other programs, including a few from Jackson State.
Among his JSU transfers are his sons, Shedeur Sanders at quarterback and Shilo Sanders at safety. Travis Hunter also came along with Deion from Jackson State to Colorado.
Hunter had initially committed to Sanders’ alma mater, the Florida State Seminoles, but then opted out to play for coach Prime. A major factor in Hunter’s decision was the chance to play both ways on offense and defense.
Travis is not only a star wide receiver, but he is developing into a shutdown corner as well. This gospel change for the roster and overall attitude of the Buffaloes program has resulted in immediate success.
Colorado was a 20+ point underdog on the road against TCU for their first game of 2023, only to rally under a 510-yard passing performance from Shedeur Sanders for the win.
Their second game was against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, where online sportsbooks in the USA favored them to win by 3. Colorado beat Nebraska by a final score of 36-14.
Colorado is currently ranked 18th in the AP Top 25 and is hosting the Colorado State Rams tomorrow at noon. They are favored to win by 23 points at most sports betting sites, suggesting they’ll be 3-0 when they face the 13th-ranked Oregon Ducks the following weekend.
An early Colorado vs. Oregon betting line suggests that the Ducks will win by 14 points.
Colorado vs. Oregon Point Spread
- Colorado Buffaloes Point Spread: +14.5
- Oregon Ducks Point Spread: -14.5
We’re taking the over right now before sportsbooks get wise. We’re not sure what’s taking so long to acknowledge Colorado because they’ve continuously underrated the Buffaloes thus far in 2023.
The popularity of betting on the Buffaloes has placed it on a level of NFL wagering. BetMGM reported that the Nebraska vs. Colorado game took in more bets than any NFL game line that week.
One of our favorite venues that we feature in our list of online gambling site reviews is BetOnline. They’ve gone all in on the Colorado betting frenzy and have granted the category its own tab in the sportsbook menu.
Included are NCAAF odds for Colorado’s finishing position in the Pac-12, nationally, and in the Heisman Trophy race. Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders has posted over 900 yards passing in just two games.
That level of production has placed him as an early Heisman favorite, and his odds of winning suggest he’ll finish 4th overall.
2023 Heisman Trophy Odds
- Caleb Williams +425
- Jordan Travis +550
- Quinn Ewers +800
- Shedeur Sanders +1000
- Michael Penix Jr. +1200
Sources: ABC News, BetOnline Sportsbook – BetOnline Review, Bovada Sportsbook – Bovada Review