Colorado vs Colorado State Player Props & Best Bets: Buffaloes Take to the Air

Prop bet #1: Travis Hunter Over 95.5 receiving yards 

-115 at BetMGM

If Travis Hunter were playing for a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, he’d be the Heisman favorite right now.

Not only is he a potential first-round pick at cornerback, but he might be the best receiver in the country, too.

His production certainly indicates he’s right there with Tetairoa McMillan. Hunter has the 14th-most receiving yards this season (242) and the seventh-most receptions (17).

Clearly, Shedeur Sanders and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur want to feed their best player, and it’s working - he’s hit 110+ receiving yards in both games this year. And there’s no reason he won’t again against Colorado State. 

Last year, he exited the game early with an injury, but this year he’s poised to toast a Rams defense that’s among the worst in the country.

Starting cornerback Dom Jones is likely to see the most action against Hunter, and he’s been lackluster at best this season. Against Texas, he allowed a 110.8 NFL QB rating when targeted, per PFF, and he gave up 46 yards to an FCS team on just four targets last week.

Meanwhile, against arguably better competition than Colorado State, Hunter has been incredible. He’s yet to drop a pass this season, ranks seventh in contested catches (3), and is averaging 2.78 yards per route run.

Prop bet #2: Shedeur Sanders Over 321.5 passing yards

-115 at BetMGM

All Colorado wants to do is throw the football, even when it doesn’t work, you can bet the Buffaloes will be dropping Sanders back to pass.

No team is rushing for fewer yards per game this season than Colorado (37.5), and there’s no reason to believe Shurmur (or Deion) will be changing that approach against Colorado State.

And honestly, they probably shouldn’t with how good the Buffaloes' receivers are, and how bad the Rams' pass defense is this season.

Colorado State is 118th in SP+ on defense and is at its worst defending the pass. Jay Norvell’s team is allowing the 18th-most passing yards per game (273) and ranks 122nd in EPA per dropback on defense.

If that’s not enough to believe in Sanders throwing for 322+ yards, he’s already topped that number in four of five non-conference games he’s played at Colorado. That includes throwing for 348 against Colorado State last season.

Not only does Sanders have one of the best quartets of receivers in the country with Hunter, Jimmy Horn Jr., Will Sheppard, and LaJohntay Wester, but he’s not afraid to take chances downfield.

Sanders is tied for the second-most big-time throws in the country this season (6).

Prop bet #3: Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi Over 251.5 passing yards

-115 at BetMGM

Like Colorado, Colorado State wants to throw the ball. Norvell runs the air raid for a reason, and he’s got a QB and wide receiver who are apparently worth $600,000 to opposing schools.

Well actually, receiver Tory Horton is definitely worth more and is viewed as a potential top 100 NFL draft pick. And he’s the biggest reason Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi is set to top this passing yards line against the Buffaloes.

Last season, Fowler-Nicolosi racked up 367 passing yards against Colorado with 133 of them going to Horton. Those two should be able to connect frequently once again against a Colorado defense that’s 107th in SP+.

While Fowler-Nicolosi is far from a star, the sophomore has a legit arm that helped him top 251.5 passing yards in six of 12 games last season.

He trusts that arm, maybe more than he should, but that confidence led him to finish 12th in the country in big-time throws last season (24). And it’ll help bettors cash the Over on this prop.