Nebraska and Colorado both had big wins in Week 1 and now face each other in a rematch of a game that Colorado won last season. Here is how to bet the game on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Colorado (+7.5) vs. Nebraska o/u 59
Colorado and Nebraska faced off last season in Boulder. Nebraska inexplicably turned the ball over four times en route to a Colorado win. However, this is a much different Nebraska team with phenom QB Dylan Raiola at the helm. Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado offense will also face a much tougher task than last week’s close win over North Dakota State, but they should be up to it.
Colorado Team Breakdown
This Colorado has a very similar look to last season’s team in their Week 1 win over North Dakota State. Shedeur Sanders is a great college quarterback and a legit NFL prospect. His connection with Travis Hunter is incredible and Hunter is arguably the most talented player in all of college football. WR Jimmy Horn Jr. also had a monster game and makes for a deadly WR duo with Hunter. However, Colorado is very one-dimensional because they can’t run the ball. They lack weapons at running back and their offensive line is shaky.
Defensively, Colorado is still very undisciplined above all else. They racked up a lot of bad penalties, particularly the coach’s son, Shilo Sanders. The defense as a whole also struggles to tackle in the open field and gives up too many yards after the catch. There will also be a big jump in opposing quarterback talent when they face Dylan Raiola on Saturday.
Nebraska Team Breakdown
Dylan Raiola is an incredibly talented quarterback but this will be a big test for him. There will be a lot of eyeballs on this game and Shedeur Sanders will create some dazzling plays on the other side. The most important thing for Raiola to do on Saturday is remain composed and take what the defense gives him. Where Nebraska could lose the game is if Raiola tries to be a hero and force the ball into tight spots, especially against Travis Hunter.
Raiola looked really sharp in his first career start against UTEP, despite Nebraska making a concerted effort to keep their playcalling vanilla. Defensively, the Cornhuskers were dominant against UTEP both on the ground and through the air. Nebraska has a big defensive line and they won’t allow Colorado to run the ball at all. They will be able to drop back and commit guys to guarding Horn and Hunter.
Colorado vs. Nebraska Pick and Prediction
Both teams should actually have relatively similar strategies. Both teams should be pretty pass-heavy, especially in the short to intermediate passing game. Both defenses should have an emphasis on limiting the big play. Nebraska knows they have to keep everything in front of them with weapons like Horn and Hunter on the outside. Also, after Week 1’s defensive performance, Colorado’s defensive coaches should be emphasizing that they need to do the same.
Ultimately, this game will be lower scoring than people think. Nebraska particularly will want to limit possessions and drain clock. The less time that Shedeur Sanders has the ball in his hands, the better. For that reason, I am betting the under in this spot.
Nebraska is the better coached team with the better defense and that usually leads to wins at this level. I don’t want to lay over a touchdown with the Cornhuskers but I am confident they win the game so I am pairing them with Texas in a moneyline parlay. Check out my preview of Texas vs. Michigan to see why I like the Longhorns to win there.
Best Bet: Colorado/Nebraska u59, Nebraska/Texas MLP (-114)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is blakekrass) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and cannot access any non-public information.
