The Colorado Buffaloes take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Atlanta on Thursday, Sept. 3. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Georgia Tech is favored by -6.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -255. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, enters as a +6.5 underdog and is +205 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 50.5 total points.
Here’s my Colorado vs. Georgia Tech prediction and college football picks for Thursday, September 3.
Colorado vs Georgia Tech Prediction
- Colorado vs. Georgia Tech Pick: 1H Under 26.5
My GA Tech vs. Colorado best bet is on both teams to go under the first-half total. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Colorado vs Georgia Tech Odds
| Colorado Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -102 | 50.5 -115o / -105u | +205 |
| Georgia Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -120 | 50.5 -115o / -105u | -255 |
- Colorado vs Georgia Tech point spread: Georgia Tech -6.5 (-120), Colorado +6.5 (-102)
- Colorado vs Georgia Tech over/under: 50.5 (-115o / -105u)
- Colorado vs Georgia Tech moneyline: Colorado +205, Georgia Tech -255
Colorado vs Georgia Tech College Football Preview
Colorado Buffaloes Betting Preview: Turnover in Boulder
Just because the Sanders lineage of players is done in Boulder doesn't mean Deion Sanders is — at least, not yet.
After a 3-9 season that was, quite frankly, hard to watch, Coach Prime did what he does best and recruited. In comes an exciting bout of transfers (especially in the receiving room) and offensive coordinator Brennan Marion.
Along with Marion, who helmed Sacramento State last year, comes the Go Go offense that flummoxed defenses at Sac State and UNLV. A unique system that typically puts two backs on the same side of the ball, Marion promises to turn the tempo up to blistering this year.
Last year's offense was atrocious. The offensive line continued to stink, and the skill players weren't anywhere near enough to offset, leading to the 102nd-ranked offense in Points Per Drive and 117th-ranked offense in drive success.
Marion should handily increase those marks.
In comes a trio of strong receivers in Kam Perry (Miami OH), DeAndre Moore Jr. (Texas) and Danny Scudero (San Jose State). However, Scudero was seen on crutches in early August, and Perry sat out fall camp with an elbow injury; both players are reportedly probable.
Marion brought along a handful of Hornets with him, namely running back Damian Henderson II and wide receiver Ernest Campbell.
The question has been and continues to be: How will the offensive line hold up? Four of the five projected starters are transfers, but only one brings 10-plus starts last year (center Demetrius Hunter, Houston).
Top lineman Jordan Seaton is now an LSU Tiger. Quarterback Julian Lewis returns, but he was wildly ineffective as pockets continually collapsed on him.
Sanders took the production-over-potential approach on defense, trying to rebuild a unit that collapsed after a really solid 2024 season.
In comes all-conference defensive lineman Santana Hopper (Tulane), first-team All-MAC linebacker Gideon ESPN Lampron (Bowling Green) and All-CUSA safety Naeten Mitchell (New Mexico State).
It's a solid lineup of proven talent, though it needs to prove its mettle a level up. At the very least, this should be an improved unit over last year, which ranked 110th in Success Rate allowed and 107th in Points Per Drive.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Betting Preview: Plenty to Replace
Georgia Tech took heavy losses this offseason, losing star quarterback Haynes King, versatile running back Jamal Haynes and ace offensive coordinator Buster Faulker.
Head coach Brent Key looked to the transfer portal to replace his QB and RB, bringing Alberto Mendoza from Indiana and Justice Haynes from Michigan.
The former is the largely unproven brother of the reigning Heisman winner, Fernando Mendoza, who showed flashes of playmaking in cleanup duty.
The latter burst onto the scene at Michigan, rushing for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns at a ridiculous 7.1 yards per carry before an injury ended his season prior to November.
Although King led Georgia Tech in both passing and rushing, Faulkner was perhaps the biggest loss of the offseason. Key dipped into the NFL ranks to bring on George Godsey and also made a change at defensive coordinator, hiring Charles Huff assistant Jason Semore.
Key also hit the transfer portal hard to replace production along the defensive line. In come six transfers up front.
Perhaps the most vacant unit is the receiving room. Just one player with more than five catches returns, and the trio of outbound players — Malik Rutherford, Eric Rivers, and Isiah Canion — makes for some massive shoes to fill.
Elon transfer Isaiah Fuhrmann (6-foot-4) makes for an intriguing prospect, but he battled injuries all spring; Mendoza might have to rely on 5-foot-11 converted defensive back Dalen Penson as a top target.
But with a more concerted focus on heavier offensive sets and the run game, no additions were bigger than those of tight ends Gavin Harris (All-CUSA at New Mexico State) and Chris Corbo (two-time FCS All-American at Dartmouth).
This is an enormous undertaking to try and replace the most successful pieces that led to a 9-4 record last year. Offense bailed this team out, but it looks like the Jackets may need to lean on the defense in 2026.
Colorado vs Georgia Tech Pick, Betting Analysis
This point total was bet down from its initial opening mark of 53.5 and now sits at 50.5.
A strong ridge brings a heat dome over the eastern United States this weekend, and highs in Atlanta on Thursday are forecast near 100 degrees. Even at 8 p.m. local, dew points pushing 70 degrees will push the feels-like temperature above 95.
A quick check-in with last year's game in Boulder saw Georgia Tech scrape by with a 27-20 win, breaking the tie with a 45-yard King touchdown run with about a minute left.
This offseason, Colorado improved on defense, and Georgia Tech dramatically got worse on offense. I expect the Jackets' pace of play to drop (26.3 seconds per play, 69th), while Colorado likely stays about the same or even slows down a touch (Marion ran 25 seconds per play in 2023 and 26.9 in 2024 at UNLV, while Colorado ran 25.1 last year).
There will be a significant focus shift to the run on both sides, as well.
Fold in blistering temperatures, new staffs and faces all the way around, a slowed tempo, and a focus on the ground game — plus Colorado's expected defensive improvement — and we're looking at a stalemate here.
I'm not overly confident in either quarterback, and both offensive lines have question marks.
Both defensive coordinators likely take a pretty aggressive approach at first to go after inexperienced quarterbacks and lines.
While Godsey digs his feet in with a physical pro-style approach, Colorado is running the Go Go for the first time against live fire and a talented Georgia Tech second level with linebackers EJ Lightsey and Kyle Efford.
This is a first-half under play early in the season on a Thursday night.
Pick: 1H Under 26.5 (Play to 24.5)
Colorado vs Georgia Tech Betting Trends
