Colorado vs. North Dakota State Score Prediction by Soccer Expert Model

Week 1 of the already historic 2024 college football season kicks off Thursday night as Deion Sanders kicks off his second year at the helm in Colorado against FCS challenger North Dakota State.

Don’t forget the Bison: They’ve won six straight games against FBS opponents, including three against Big 12 teams, which the Buffaloes are now a part of after this year’s realignment.

Colorado started last season 3-0 in Coach Prime’s debut, but lost six straight games by the end of the year and underwent another major roster shakeup using the transfer portal.

What do the experts think of the matchup? Let’s take a look at the SP+ prediction model to predict the match, along with the latest betting information for Week 1.

The simulations predict that Colorado will win the Week 1 game on Thursday.

SP+ predicts the Buffaloes will beat the Bisons by an expected score of 34 to 32 and win the game by an expected 2.5 points.

According to the model, Colorado has a slim 56 percent chance of winning.

SP+ is a “pace- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency” that attempts to predict game outcomes by measuring “the most enduring and predictable aspects of football.”

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Colorado is a 9.5-point favorite against North Dakota State. The total for the game is set at 59.5 points.

FanDuel estimates the moneyline odds for Colorado at -360 and for North Dakota State at +280.

If you use this projection to bet on the match, you should consider…

Other analytics tools also indicate that Colorado will win the Week 1 season opener.

This includes the College Football Power Index, a computer model that simulates games 20,000 times to determine winners.

The index predicts Colorado will win the game in 71.3 percent of simulations, while the Bisons will win in the remaining 28.7 percent of simulations.

When: Thu, Aug 29
Time: 7:00pm CT, 6:00pm MT
TV: ESPN Network

The odds of winning are updated periodically and may change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and needs help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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