NCAAF Upset Pick: Kansas Prime Bet vs Colorado in Week 13

It’s coming down the stretch in the Big 12 Conference race, and the Colorado Buffaloes are right at the front, tied for first place with the BYU Cougars at 6-1. That one next to the Cougars’ name is courtesy of Colorado’s opponent this week, the Kansas Jayhawks, who are out of the race for the conference crown but hoping to become bowl eligible with a couple more wins.

Kansas has been a disappointment from the college football predictions of the preseason, coming into this one with a 4-6 mark. But last week’s win over BYU was its second straight victory over a Top 25 foe and should have many thinking twice about an easy selection of the Buffaloes to win this one.

The college football odds have Colorado as a three-point favorite on Saturday. Taking Kansas on the moneyline will get you +125 odds while the Buffaloes are -145 for a straight-up win. The over/under for the game has been set at 59½ points.

Colorado vs Kansas Game Information

• Game: Colorado (8-2, 6-1 Big 12) vs Kansas (4-6, 3-4)
• Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 23, 3:30 p.m. ET
• Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
• Colorado vs Kansas Live Stream: FuboTV

2 Things to Consider When Betting Colorado vs Kansas

1. Jayhawks Beating Better Competition

As stated above, Kansas’ win over BYU was its second straight upset victory of a Top 25 foe – the Jayhawks defeated then-No. 17 Iowa State the previous week. Meanwhile, Colorado is on a four-game winning streak, but only one of those teams – Texas Tech – is currently above .500.

The loss by BYU made Colorado the favorite to win the Big 12 in NCAA futures odds. The Buffaloes are -125 to win the conference while BYU is +315.

The Jayhawks’ two most recent losses have been to Kansas State and Arizona State, both of which are among the top six in the conference. And those two losses came by a total of six points.

So despite its record, Kansas is a dangerous team, and one that needs to win out if it wants to go to a bowl game. Coach Lance Leopold’s squad is looking for an amazing comeback from an ugly 1-5 start to the campaign.

“I feel like our team has always done a great job being able to stay the course,” Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels said after the win over the Cougars. “I feel like a big staple within our program is being able to trust the process.”

Per Colorado vs Kansas stats, Daniels has been part of the turnaround as he’s cut down on his mistakes over the last five games. In the first five games of the season, Daniels threw eight interceptions, but he has just two over the last five contests.

He’ll need to keep that up against Colorado and two-way player Travis Hunter. Currently the betting favorite for the Heisman Trophy this season, Hunter has three interceptions in 2024. The Buffaloes as a team have picked off opposing quarterbacks 10 times.

2. Running Game Pushes Jayhawks To Win

While Colorado has a solid run defense, ranking seventh in the Big 12 by surrendering 138.7 rushing yards a game, it’s going to have trouble shutting down the Jayhawks’ ground attack. Kansas ranks third in the Big 12 with 200.3 rushing yards per game, led by senior running back Devin Neal.

The Man. The Myth. The Legend. pic.twitter.com/EYsXQqh8is

— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) November 9, 2024

Neal has 926 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground this season, making college football news by becoming the program’s all-time leading rusher in the win over Iowa State and going over 4,000 career yards against BYU. He also became the program’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns against Iowa State, as he’s been on a roll in finding the end zone.

Neal has a seven-game touchdown streak and has scored twice in three of the last four games for the Jayhawks. He’s going to be tough for the Buffaloes to stop, and if they do try to focus on him, Daniels is a dangerous runner as well, scoring at least one rushing touchdown in four of the last five contests.

Obviously, the Kansas defense must be able to shut down the explosive Colorado offense, which averages 34.1 points per game behind quarterback Shedeur Sanders (3,222 passing yards, 27 touchdowns).

But the Jayhawks’ experience of playing ranked teams in each of their last three games is going to help in this one. We like Kansas to be among the better college football bets for an upset this week, and we’re making them our call for Upset of the Week.

Bet on Kansas ML (+125) vs Colorado

Questions Of The Day

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets