Result prediction for Colorado vs. North Dakota State by a football expert model

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

Don't overlook the Bison: They have won six straight games against FBS competition, including three results against Big 12 teams, which the Buffaloes now belong to after this year's realignment.

Colorado started 3-0 in Coach Prime's debut last season, but lost six straight to end the year and underwent another major restructuring of its roster using the transfer portal.

What do the experts think about the clash? Let's look at the SP+ prediction model to predict the game, along with the latest betting information for Week 1.

According to simulations, Colorado will do well in Thursday's Week 1 game.

SP+ projects the Buffaloes to defeat the Bison by a projected score of 34-32 and are expected to win the game by 2.5 points.

The model gives Colorado a narrow 56 percent chance of winning.

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

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

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

If you use this prediction to bet on the game, you should consider the following…

Other analysis tools also suggest that Colorado will win the opening game of the first week.

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

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

When: Thursday, August 29
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT, 6:00 p.m. MT
TV: ESPN Network

The game odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.

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

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