{"id":11143,"date":"2022-09-02T14:54:51","date_gmt":"2022-09-02T18:54:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/?p=11143"},"modified":"2022-11-08T09:46:58","modified_gmt":"2022-11-08T14:46:58","slug":"colorado-vs-tcu-prediction-and-betting-odds-sept-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/college-football\/colorado-vs-tcu-prediction-and-betting-odds-sept-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado vs TCU Prediction and Betting Odds | Sept 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Colorado vs TCU Betting Preview<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Friday, September 2<\/th>\nCollege Football Week 1 Betting Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Point Spread:<\/td>\nTCU Horned Frogs -13.5 at Colorado Buffaloes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total:<\/td>\no\/u 59 Points<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Location:<\/td>\nFolsom Field in Boulder, Colorado<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Game Time:<\/td>\n10:00pm ET \/ 7:00pm PT (Odds Above Courtesy of DraftKings<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TV:<\/td>\nESPN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Colorado vs TCU Analysis<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

New Man in Charge<\/h3>\n

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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 623 rushing yards \u2014 next to Zach Evans, who had 648 yards last season and transferred to Ole Miss.<\/p>\n

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

Reload on Offense<\/h3>\n

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 \u2014 including Brenden Rice who went to USC \u2014 and their six best defensive players that include top cornerback Christian Gonzalez (Oregon).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Colorado vs TCU Prediction<\/h2>\n

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<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Prediction: 1st Half TCU -7.5
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Bet On It | College Football Week 1 Predictions<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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