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These two teams ended the year with a win, but they did not do enough down the stretch to take control of the Big 12 race, opening the door for Arizona State. Still, these two teams are close to full strength and should put on a show in the Alamo Bowl. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a BYU-Colorado prediction and pick.
BYU-Colorado Last Game – Matchup History
These two teams have not met since 1988. That meeting in 1988 was a BYU win in a bowl game in Anaheim. This is the first meeting between the two teams as Big 12 teams, and they are meeting in this bowl game with the bowls still having their old tie-ins, so BYU is the Big 12 representative, while Colorado is the Pac-12 representative.
Overall Series: Colorado leads 8-3-1
Here are the BYU-Colorado College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: BYU-Colorado Odds
BYU: +3.5 (-104)
Moneyline: +146
Colorado: -3.5 (-118)
Moneyline: -178
Over: 54.5 (-110)
Under: 54.5 (-110)
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How to Watch BYU vs. Colorado
Time: 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT
TV: ABC
*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why BYU Could Cover The Spread/Win
BYU has been a great story this season, and their offense is the key. They are averaging 397.4 yards and 30.8 points per game. Jake Retzlaff has been great at quarterback and is the engine that makes this offense go. He has 2,796 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a 57.9% completion percentage. Chase Roberts has been a standout in a balanced receiving corps. He has 843 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 51 receptions. Then, in the backfield, LJ Martin has been solid but inconsistent. He has 630 yards and five touchdowns on 121 carries. This offense should be able to score and move the ball on the Buffaloes, but they need to find that consistency as a unit. Travis Hunter is a shutdown corner, and the Buffaloes have some good pieces up front, but the BYU offense has enough to move the ball and turn the Alamo Bowl into a shootout.
BYU's defense has been great this season and has been the best in the Big 12. They allow 317 yards and 20.1 points per game. They are better against the pass than against the run. They have the second-best passing defense in the Big 12, allowing 180.3 yards through the air and 136.7 yards per game on the ground. The matchup through the air is what will decide this game. BYU has the defense to slow the Buffaloes down, but it might not matter because of the overall firepower they have on offense, especially with Shedeur Sanders and their loaded receiving corps. This matchup will decide the game in San Antonio between these two teams.
Why Colorado Could Cover The Spread/Win
Colorado's offense has been great this season and has so much firepower. They are averaging 397.6 total yards and 34.5 points per game. This offense goes as Shedeur Sanders goes at quarterback. He has 3,926 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns, and eight interceptions with a 74.2% completion percentage. The receiving corps has been balanced for the most part, but Travis Hunter has stood out as the leader, and this has helped him win the Heisman Trophy. He has 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns on 92 receptions. The running game has been nonexistent, but Isaiah Augustave still leads the way with 373 yards and three touchdowns on 82 carries. This offense has so much talent, especially in the passing game, that no matter what, they should find some success against this BYU defense. This matchup will decide the game because it is each team's strength-on-strength matchup.
Colorado's defense has been solid at best this season. They are allowing 353.7 yards and 22 points per game. They are solid against both the pass and the run but slightly better against the pass. They allow 204.7 yards through the air and 149 yards per game on the ground. This defense has its hands full against the BYU passing offense and Retzlaff. B.J. Green is the difference-maker up front, and then Travis Hunter is obviously a shutdown corner in the secondary and is arguably a better defensive back than wide receiver. This defense is full in San Antonio against a slid offense like BYU.
Final BYU-Colorado Prediction & Pick
These two teams are mostly at full strength, with a few opt-outs due to transfers. BYU surprised many people this year, mainly due to its defense and Jake Retzlaff's presence under center. However, the two best players in this game are Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, who are most likely the difference. This will be a fun and high-scoring game between two teams that did not play each other this season in the Big 12, but Colorado is the better team. Colorado wins and covers in a great game at the Alamo Bowl.
Final BYU-Colorado Prediction & Pick: Colorado -3.5 (-118)
