Colorado vs TCU Prediction and Betting Odds | Sept 2

Colorado vs TCU Betting Preview

TCU and Colorado will kick off their 2022-23 college football seasons on Friday night, with the Horned Frogs pegged as 13.5-point road favorites in Boulder. WagerTalk college football analyst Brian Ochsner shares his thoughts on the Colorado vs TCU matchup.

Get the best college football hot picks for today free all season long at WagerTalk.

This week’s edition of The Football GoldSheet is FREE! Enjoy write-ups and stat logs on every college football game this week and see the new-and-improved GoldSheet layout. To download, log into the GoldSheet’s website using username: free@goldsheet.com and the password: free. No coupon, phone number or email address required. It’s that simple. Come see why GoldSheet has been the country’s premier football betting newsletter for over six decades.

Friday, September 2	College Football Week 1 Betting Notes
Point Spread:	TCU Horned Frogs -13.5 at Colorado Buffaloes
Total:	o/u 59 Points
Location:	Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado
Game Time:	10:00pm ET / 7:00pm PT (Odds Above Courtesy of DraftKings)
TV:	ESPN

Colorado vs TCU Analysis

TCU comes into this game optimistic about the upcoming season with a new head coach and a talented roster, while the Buffaloes are looking to rebuild after they lost a lot of talent through the transfer portal, and have been picked by many college football analysts to finish last in the Pac-12.

New Man in Charge

TCU head coach Sonny Dykes has been the head man at Louisiana Tech, California and most recently, SMU, with a career record of 71-63. He has high expectations for his new team in 2022 and said: “TCU is about winning championships… I want to coach in this kind of environment where there has been that level of success and there’s that level of expectations, as well.”

The Horned Frogs have a good problem at quarterback, with three talented signal callers. Senior Max Duggan, who started 29 games for TCU; redshirt freshman Chandler Morris, who had a 531-yard game in 2021; and redshirt freshman Sam Jackson, who threw one pass last year for 77 yards to Taye Barber. Coach Dykes has said these players will split time to start the season.

No matter who lines up behind center, they’ll have plenty of talent to throw to. Fifth-year players Barber and Derius Davis, junior Quentin Johnson – the team’s leading receiver with 634 yards in 2021 – junior Savion Williams, sophomore Quincy Brown and four-star freshman recruit Jordan Hudson make up a talented group of receivers. And they should do well Friday night against an inexperienced Buffalo secondary.

It looks like TCU will have a running back by committee, with up to four players splitting time. It includes senior Emari Demercado, juniors Kendre Miller and Emani Bailey, plus redshirt freshman Trent Battle. Miller had the best numbers last year — 623 rushing yards — next to Zach Evans, who had 648 yards last season and transferred to Ole Miss.

TCU’s offensive line is also solid, anchored by center Steve Avila, who could be in the running for multiple linemen awards.

Reload on Offense

Colorado isn’t exactly stacked with talent this season, as they lost key players to graduation, the transfer portal and the NFL draft. They include leading rusher Jarek Broussard (Michigan State), three of their top five receivers — including Brenden Rice who went to USC — and their six best defensive players that include top cornerback Christian Gonzalez (Oregon).

The Buffaloes have a quarterback battle with sophomore Brendon Lewis (who started every game in 2021), and junior JT Shrout. Head coach Karl Dorrell hasn’t named a starter, and said they will split time. CU struggled to move the ball and score in 2021, as they were 121st in scoring at 18.8 points a game; and were only ahead of New Mexico State in total offense, averaging 257.6 yards per game. That’s why Dorrell cleaned house on offense, and hired new O-coordinator Mike Sanford from Minnesota along with three new offensive assistants.

The only bright spot for the Buffalo offense is that the TCU defense wasn’t good last year, allowing 461.8 yards per game (119th). However, reports from Fort Worth say the Horned Frogs defense has gotten better, anchored by senior linebacker Dee Winters. But to achieve the lofty goal of winning a Big 12 title, the defense will have to be a lot better.

Colorado vs TCU Prediction

TCU is the more talented team than Colorado, and should win by a decent margin. However, we’re never quite sure what we’ll get from college teams on opening night. And the altitude in Boulder (over 5,300 feet above sea level) could be a factor later in the game. If the visitors get a double-digit or more lead in the second half, they’ll probably put in more second and third-string players – and CU will probably keep their best players on the field to get reps and confidence. This is a recipe for a potential back door cover, and what keeps me from taking the visitors for the full game. That’s why I like TCU in the first half -7.5.

Prediction: 1st Half TCU -7.5

Bet On It | College Football Week 1 Predictions

The barking dogs, sandwiches, and teasers will return for the NFL next week, but first, the Bet On It crew gets warmed up with some college football picks for this weekend’s marquee matchups. Join Kelly, Marco, Joe and Ralph every Wednesday for Bet On It as we break down the college football slate from a variety of betting angles.

College Football Odds Board

WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the college football point spreads, totals and betting percentages for all of the NCAAF Week 1 games, including this Colorado vs TCU showdown, from your desktop or phone.

**************************************************

Meet the Author

Brian Ochsner graduated from Kansas State University with degrees in Accounting and Agribusiness. He’s a life-long baseball fan and “numbers guy” who tolerates the Colorado Rockies (bad ownership), and is a Denver Broncos and Kansas State Wildcats fan. Along with his interest in the sports wagering industry, he enjoys eating good BBQ, reading books on marketing, finance and economics, and playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker.

Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?

• Latest Betting Odds and Public Action: Vegas lines updated in real time, including who the public is betting on.
• Last Minute Handicapping Advice: Check out our extensive library of handicapping tips and advice from professional Vegas handicappers (we also recommend taking the time to look over our sports betting tips video library)
• Want an expert opinion? Check out the latest Free Sports Picks and Best Bets from our team of expert sports handicappers.

Make sure to bookmark all the above!