Utah vs Colorado Odds, Pick: Shedeur Sanders’ Absence Moves Line
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images. Pictured: Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.
Utah vs Colorado Odds
| Utah Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-22.5 -115 | 44.5 -115o / -105u | -2000 |
| Colorado Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+22.5 -105 | 44.5 -115o / -105u | +1000 |
Editor's Note: Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been ruled out for the Buffaloes' game against Utah, according to Action Network's Brett McMurphy.
The Colorado Buffaloes had an incredible start to their season but have struggled mightily of late while losing five straight games.
Meanwhile, Utah has lost its past two games but got a boost of good news when Cam Rising announced that he'll return for another season in 2024.
Colorado is simply playing for pride at this point, but will that be enough? Let's dive in to our Utah vs Colorado Odds, Pick, Prediction and our College Football Betting Preview for Saturday, Nov. 25.
The Buffaloes are built so much on the star power of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders that it's tough to imagine them having success without either. Utah is almost the opposite of Colorado in that way. Despite Rising missing the entire season, the Utes have been good enough to go 7-4.
Utah's passing offense has notably less gas, though Bryson Barnes has filled in admirably. The Utes rank 115th in passing plays rate and choose to keep the ball on the ground 58% of the time.
When they do pass, they don't have a ton of success, ranking 82nd in Passing Success Rate and 103rd in passing explosiveness.
However, this program was not built on a flashy offense. It was built on a bone-crushing defense. Utah ranks 16th in Success Rate Allowed, 22nd in Havoc and 65th in Points per Opportunity Allowed.
The Utes have been particularly effective against the pass, ranking seventh in Passing Success Rate Allowed. However, they have a tendency to give up some big plays and come in at 112th in passing play explosiveness allowed.
Can Colorado give Sanders enough time to take advantage of that? I tend to lean toward "no" and expect Utah's defensive line to make Sanders' night a long one.
Colorado's offensive line is a clear weakness.
Sanders could cover up a lot of issues early, but he's been getting crushed in recent weeks. He has a tendency to hold onto the ball a bit too long while waiting for things to develop, and that exacerbates the offensive line's struggles. That's a big reason why Colorado ranks 92nd in Havoc Allowed and why Sanders has been sacked 52 times this season.
Additionally, the Buffaloes rank 131st in rushing plays rate, 116th in Rushing Success Rate and 108th in rushing explosiveness rate.
The inability to rush the ball puts the Buffaloes in a lot of passing situations, as they rank 103rd in standard downs rate. Constantly playing behind schedule puts even more stress on the offensive line as it needs to block long enough for downfield routes to develop.
Defensively, Colorado ranks 126th in Success Rate Allowed and 112th in Points per Opportunity Allowed. Its Havoc ranking of 81st and explosiveness allowed ranking of 78th are slightly better but still not great.
The Buffaloes defense allows teams to move the ball efficiently on the ground and through the air. They rank 113th in Passing Success Rate Allowed and 127th in Rushing Success Rate Allowed.
I expect the Utes to move the ball down the field with minimal, if any, resistance.
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Colorado and Utah match up statistically:
Colorado Offense vs. Utah Defense
 | Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 114 | 34 | |
| Line Yards | 69 | 44 | |
| Pass Success | 53 | 20 | |
| Havoc | 93 | 3 | |
| Finishing Drives | 39 | 64 | |
| Quality Drives | 98 | 21 |
Utah Offense vs. Colorado Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 87 | 115 | |
| Line Yards | 90 | 68 | |
| Pass Success | 84 | 114 | |
| Havoc | 90 | 112 | |
| Finishing Drives | 112 | 112 | |
| Quality Drives | 21 | 107 |
Pace of Play / Other
| ||
| PFF Tackling | 80 | 22 |
| PFF Coverage | 106 | 59 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 88 | 45 |
| Middle 8 | 112 | 14 |
| Seconds per Play | 23.5 (13) | 29.1 (104) |
| Rush Rate | 43.2% (131) | 60.1% (19) |
Utah vs Colorado
Betting Pick & Prediction
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After getting embarrassed against Washington State last week, Colorado will want to show some pride and close its season on a high note. However, I think Utah's defense will be able to smother Colorado's passing attack.
I also think the Utes will keep the ball on the ground and look to keep the clock running once they have a lead. Colorado will struggle on offense and Utah will dominate time of possession.
Pick: Under 52
Editor's Note: The Utah vs. Colorado total has moved 7.5 points since writing with the news of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders' absence, moving out of the range to bet the under.
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