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Two in-state rivals with no love for one another will meet on the hardwood for the first time in over three seasons as the Colorado State Rams travel roughly 60 miles south to take on the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder. With that being said, let's check out our college basketball odds series, where our Colorado State-Colorado prediction and pick will be made for all betting fanatics to see.
Entering play with a 6-3 record through the team's first nine games, the Rams fell victim of overlooking the Northern Colorado Bears and were defeated by a score of 88-83 on their home floor. While it was certainly an inexcusable loss for CSU's standards, taking down their arch-rivals in Boulder would ease the stinging of dropping what should've been an easy win. The Rams lost their lone true road game of the year dating back to Nov. 18th when they were downed by Charleston.
After wins against ranked competition like Tennessee and Texas A&M earlier in the season, the Buffaloes have played inconsistent basketball since and have limped their way to an 0-2 start in Pac-12 conference play with losses to Arizona State and Washington. There is no debate that the Buffs have a surplus of talent on the floor, but finding a way to put it all together has seemingly been a challenging task.
Here are the Colorado State-Colorado college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Colorado State-Colorado Odds
Colorado State: +3.5 (-104)
Colorado: -3.5 (-118)
Over: 143.5 (-110)
Under: 143.5 (-110)
Why Colorado State Could Cover The Spread
While the loss to UNC-Greeley was a disappointing one, to say the least, the Rams are at least ecstatic to have three-time All-Mountain West guard Isaiah Stevens back in the lineup after he missed a lengthy amount of time with a foot injury. One of the big components in why the Rams were able to go dancing back in March, Stevens' immediately reminded those why he was so missed by dropping 20 points on 7/13 shooting which also included a 60% shooting clip from beyond the arc. All in all, Stevens is the type of playmaking guard that put the team on his back in the most critical of moments and comes up clutch when it matters most.
Surely, the return of arguably the best player on their roster was monumental, but it still wasn't enough to elude a loss at home. Against the Bears, CSU got out-rebounded time and time again throughout the night versus a much smaller Northern Colorado team. With an emphasis surely on rebounding during practice this week, the Rams cannot afford to put forth a similar performance against a Colorado squad that possesses far more size, athleticism, and rebounding ability.
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One specific player that needs to bounce back in a big way will be guard John Tonje, who struggled to get anything going last time out with only six points on 1/7 shooting, In his previous two games prior, the 6'5″ senior from Omaha combined to score 48 points in what resulted in a pair of CSU victories. Simply put, the Rams need one of their biggest stars to get going if they want a chance at covering.
Why Colorado Could Cover The Spread
One of the more confusing teams in all of college basketball, the Colorado Buffaloes have an identity crisis at their hands. Somehow, the Buffaloes host tonight's rivalry matchup with a decent amount of pent-up frustration built up with a 4-5 record. In fact, the last time the Buffaloes played on their home floor, they choked a 15-point halftime lead against Arizona State in what head coach Tad Boyle referred to as, “One of the most embarrassing losses during my tenure in Boulder.”
The most head-scratching part about CU has been that they have proven that they can beat some of the better schools in the entire country. While many fans and analysts would point to a youthful roster playing a part in the inconsistencies, this should not be an excuse. In this day and age of college basketball where there are a majority of freshman players start each and every season, the Buffs need to find a way to gel together as soon as possible.
Facing a must-win coming at the hands of a rival who would no doubt love to spoil the fun on their home floor, Colorado's main concern when it comes to covering the spread will be to find a way to get K.J Simpson going from the opening tip-off. Simpson is a do-it-all playmaking guard that is averaging 16.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Not to mention, the Buffaloes have to shoot with better efficiency from the free-throw and three-point lines. In their 73-63 loss on the road to Washington, CU shot a dreadful 46% from the charity stripe while only connecting on 5-17 from deep. If the Buffaloes can improve upon these marks, it will make life much easier for them this evening.
Final Colorado State-Colorado Prediction & Pick
Who doesn't love rivalries? No doubt, the level of intensity and hatred in this one will reach all-time capacities, but the wise pick here is Colorado due to the fact that they are at home and also possess a far-more talented squad.
Final Colorado State-Colorado Prediction & Pick: Colorado -3.5 (-118)
