by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Oct 15, 2026
Game Time: 10:15 pm ET, Saturday, October 17, 2026
Venue: Folsom Field, Boulder, CO
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Utah -15.5, Colorado +15.5; Over/Under: 49.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Utah -15.5, Colorado +15.5; Over/Under: 49.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Utah -15.5, Colorado +15.5; Over/Under: 49.5 points
Season Record
Utah Utes: 5-0 (2-0) (2nd place, Big 12)
Colorado Buffaloes: 2-3 (0-2) (13th place, Big 12)
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Recent Form
Utah Utes: won their last game at home against the Kansas Jayhawks 41-24.
Colorado Buffaloes: lost their last game at home against the Texas Tech Red Raiders 29-7.
Utah Utes vs Colorado Buffaloes Preview and Analysis
Utah is entering this game with a 5-0 record overall and they have a 2-0 record in their conference games too. They are 4-0 in their home games, 1-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against Kansas 41-24. Devon Dampier was the starting QB and he completed 23/30 passes for 238 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Wayshawn Parker led the team in rushing yards with 171 and 2 TDs. Ricky Johnson led the receivers with 104 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Trey Reynolds led the defense in that game with 8 tackles while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. James Chenault came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Colorado is entering this game with a 2-3 record overall and they have a 0-2 record in their conference games too. They are 1-1 in their home games, 1-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against Texas Tech 29-7. Isaac Wilson was the starting QB and he completed 26/44 passes for 290 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. Isaac Wilson led the team in rushing yards with 42. Joseph Williams led the receivers with 93 receiving yards on 10 receptions and 1 TD. Santana Hopper led the defense in that game with 10 tackles while Randon Fontenette and Toby Anene each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Utah vs Colorado Prediction
The current betting odds have Utah listed as a 15.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Utah has looked great in their games this season with their 5-0 record overall and their 2-0 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They have been a good road team too with their 1-0 road record this year. Meanwhile, Colorado hasn't looked great in their games this season with their 2-3 record overall and their 0-2 conference record which has them right near the bottom of the Big 12. They haven't looked great on their home field either with their 1-1 home record this season. Colorado had a surprising start to the season when they pulled off an upset win on the road against Georgia Tech, but that win hasn't aged well over the last few weeks and it has been all downhill for Colorado since then. They are already having trouble in the conference and they are coming off a 29-7 loss to Texas Tech in their last one. They are coming out of their bye week here, but they have already made some changes at the QB position and don't have a good offense this year. Utah is coming off a 41-24 win over Kansas in their last one and they have been rolling in their games this season. Their offense has been putting up a ton of points with one of the best QB's in the Big 12 and the defense has looked really good too. They have only played 1 road game this year which was a 31-17 win over Iowa State, but they were also up 24-7 before Iowa State even started to show some life. Utah has a lot more talent than Colorado and Utah has looked like one of the best teams in the Big 12 so far, so look for Utah to continue rolling here. The best way to place a bet here is on Utah to cover the spread in this game.
Utah Colorado Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 17, 2026 (10:15 pm ET start time) is Utah 38 Colorado 7.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Utah Utes: 53-36 ATS as a favorite of 10.5 to 21 points. 73-52 ATS after scoring 37 points or more last game. 38-26 ATS when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 25% to 40%). 32-24 UNDER in a road game where the total is between 49.5 and 56. 28-18 UNDER when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 25% to 40%).
Colorado Buffaloes: 43-61 ATS vs. good passing teams averaging 250 or more passing yards/game. 40-66 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 75%). 59-87 ATS vs. good teams - outscoring opponents by 10+ PPG on the season. 7-3 UNDER as a home underdog of 14.5 to 21 points. 9-4 UNDER after playing a game at home.
Key Injuries
Utah Utes: J. Hart (CB) Out - Undisclosed.
Colorado Buffaloes: K. Perry (WR) Doubtful - Undisclosed. F. Clements (TE) Probable - Undisclosed. T. Martinez (LB) Out - Undisclosed. D. Scudero (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Vickers (CB) Out - Undisclosed. Z. Atkins (TE) Out - Undisclosed. D. Moore Jr. (WR) Probable - Undisclosed. Q. Gibson (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Williams (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Henderson II (RB) Probable - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“It is a game of momentum and when they have it, you’ve got to go steal it back. You can’t play the ‘poor me’ game. You have to find ways to get it back.” - Morgan Scalley after his team’s win against Kansas in their last game.
“The score is not indicative of who these guys are and who we are. I don’t believe so. It’s just very unfortunate. I expected a win. That's what I expected today. A tremendous win that would've made the bye week so much better. We're going to work. We're going to right the wrongs, looking to see how some of the young men respond.” - Deion Sanders after his team’s loss against Texas Tech in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Utah Utes
WR Johnson, Ricky
WR Pegan, Braden
WR Whittemore, Creed
TE Bennee, Noah
QB Dampier, Devon
RB Parker, Wayshawn
Colorado Buffaloes
WR Moore Jr., DeAndre
WR Williams, Joseph
WR Scudero, Danny
TE Clements, Fisher
QB Wilson, Isaac
RB Welch, Micah
FB Kopetz, Brady
Statistical Leaders
Utah Utes
Passing: Devon Dampier (1,134)
Rushing: Wayshawn Parker (499)
Receiving: Braden Pegan (336)
Touchdowns: Wayshawn Parker (11)
Colorado Buffaloes
Passing: Julian Lewis (733)
Rushing: Micah Welch (218)
Receiving: Joseph Williams (454)
Touchdowns: Joseph Williams (5)
Coaches:
Utah Utes: Morgan Scalley (1st season)
Colorado Buffaloes: Deion Sanders (4th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
