There aren’t many marquee matchups on this Saturday’s college football slate. However, one that will have plenty of eyeballs on it is the meeting between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
This will be the final time we see these teams square off for the foreseeable future. This is the fourth game of their nonconference series, and this one will end a chapter of a storied rivalry that dates back to the days of the Big Eight.
In recent history, Colorado has taken control of the rivalry. The Buffaloes have won each of the last three nonconference meetings, but they’ll enter this matchup as underdogs.
What better way to celebrate this occasion than with a same-game parlay? Let’s dive my Nebraksa vs. Colorado parlay on bet365 that is set to pay out at odds of +625.
Nebraska vs. Colorado Single Game Parlay
- Colorado +7.5
- Emmett Johnson Over 39.5 Rushing Yards
- Shedeur Sanders Over 38.5 Pass Attempts
Parlay Odds: +625 via bet365
Remember to bet responsibly — this is a long shot for a reason.
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This number has come and gone this week. Nebraska took early money, but then Colorado received some buyback at 7.5. With the spread sitting at 6.5 at the time of writing, getting a full score with the hook is a great number.
My projections make Nebraska around a five-point favorite, so there’s definitely room for some Colorado cover. And when you factor in the downfield passing nature of this offense, it won’t need to dominate the time of possession to hang around on the scoreboard.
Take the Buffs to kick out the parlay, as the market has already shown us that 7.5 is too high for this matchup.
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The Buffs were gashed on the ground last season, and they didn’t show much improvement in their season opener against North Dakota State.
Quarterback Cam Miller ran for 81 yards on 16 carries, while the remaining Bison backs racked up 65 yards on 18 carries. An average of 3.7 yards per carry is not bad for Colorado, but it has a much tougher assignment on its hands with Nebraska’s run-heavy offense.
The Cornhuskers ran the ball 56% of the time in their first game of the season, and Emmett Johnson led the way. Johnson rushed for 71 yards on eight carries, 42 of which came on one big play.
While Johnson received three fewer carries than Rahmir Johnson, it’s clear that Emmett’s explosiveness will be a factor for the Cornhuskers moving forward.
His rushing line is set at just 39.5 yards, and with Nebraska running backs averaging 6.7 yards per carry, he may only need seven carries or so to surpass this total.
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The Cornhuskers’ rushing success builds into our next angle, as the Buffaloes will likely be playing from behind.
A trailing game script means more passing, which is something Colorado is accustomed to. It threw the ball at the sixth-highest rate in the country last season.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw the ball 39 or more times in eight of his 11 games last season. He attempted only 34 passes in the Buffs’ first game of 2024, but he easily could’ve had more as Colorado scored quickly a few times. He also threw his lone interception early on a drive.
The quick strike potential of this offense may be subdued a bit, as Nebraska’s defense is experienced. However, that should only extend Colorado’s drives because it has the talent in its receiving corps to succeed against the Huskers’ secondary.
Look for Sanders to have the ball in his hands a lot in this matchup.
