This article originally appeared at FanDuel Research
Get set for a Prime college football Friday night with a big Stanford vs. Colorado prediction, plus the latest odds and betting insights from FanDuel.
Not only are we in the spookiest month on the calendar, but this October also features a Friday the 13th, and what better way to spend it than watching some scary-good college football action?!?
All superstitions aside, this Friday evening offers a three-game slate to keep college football’s Week 7 churning. Of the three contests, no AP Top 25 schools are featured, but there are still lucrative NCAA football betting markets to ponder.
Most noteworthy, Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes are attempting to spark another winning streak; CU takes on the Stanford Cardinal in Boulder for a #Pac12AfterDark affair.
One state over, the Utah State Aggies will host the Fresno State Bulldogs in a Mountain West clash under the lights. How will that shake out?
Let’s dive into Friday’s college football schedule with an emphasis on scoping out the most valuable lines in traditional betting markets, including a big Colorado vs. Stanford prediction.
Colorado vs. Stanford Prediction & Odds: College Football Week 6
All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.
- Time: 10 p.m. EST
- TV: ESPN
- Spread: COLO -11.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: STAN +330/COLO -430
- Total: 58.5 (-108/-112)
What are we in store for on this week’s episode of the Coach Prime Show? Well, Colorado did well to get back in the win column last Saturday versus the Arizona State Sun Devils. Especially after previously dropping consecutive games against ranked conference opponents, the Buffaloes are looking to restart their momentum. Do the Stanford Trees have any shot of standing sturdy in Boulder?
Football for Stanford University has been rather hard to watch in 2023. With just a lone win over the Hawaii Warriors this season, the Cardinal have played to a dismal 1-4 SU record. Still, their low point of the year came back on September 16th when they lost to NorCal neighbor Sacramento State (FCS). So, how can they possibly hang with Shedeur Sanders and the speed of Colorado?
Colorado vs. Stanford Best Bet: Over 58.5 (-108)
I’m quite certain the Buffaloes will take care of business on home turf, and I also don’t doubt that they defeat Stanford by double digits. But, after seeing the collective defensive performances between these two Pac-12 schools, I prefer a play on the over.
When looking at the conference, Colorado has jumped into the middle tier while the Cardinal just might be the Pac-12’s very worst. As stated, neither side here seems particularly strong on defense. Stanford is currently surrendering 34.6 PPG — 11th-worst rate in FBS — while the Buffaloes are only one position better, allowing opponents an average of 34.2 PPG.
Glancing back at numberFire’s college football game projections, the estimated combined point total is showing 59.67 — 34.09-25.58 in favor of CU. That equates to more than one point of breathing room with the current set number of 58.5. Considering FanDuel Sportsbook has a better payout to the over (-108) at the moment, I will be backing a high-scoring affair this Friday in Boulder.
@boardroom_ A prime example of Coach Prime’s ability to seize a prime opportunity. #deionsanders #gobuffs #collegefootball #coachprime ♬ original sound – Boardroom
Tulane Green Wave vs. Memphis Tigers Odds & Best Bet
- Time: 7 p.m. EST
- TV: ESPN
- Spread: TULN -4.5 (-112)
- Moneyline: TULN -192/MEM +155
- Total: 54.5
In his eighth season at the helm, head coach Willie Fritz and the Tulane Green Wave will travel due north to crash upon the Memphis Tigers. At the moment, both schools have played to a 4-1 record straight up (SU), but Tulane has been slightly better against the spread (ATS). In that category, the Green Wave is 2-3 while Memphis is 1-3-1.
Tulane is coming off one of its best years in program history. In 2022, Fritz coached the Green Wave to a 12-2 overall record and a conference title in The American. Additionally, they notched a bowl win by outdueling Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl. Tulane seems to be channeling that same energy into the current campaign as winners of their past three consecutive games.
Under head coach Ryan Silverfield, the Tigers have been strong as well this year. This is Silverfield’s fourth season at Memphis, and the program has not produced a sub-.500 record since then. Like Tulane, the Tigers also secured a bowl win last year, trouncing Utah State in the Servpro First Responder Bowl.
So, in meeting a familiar foe this Friday night in Grind City, who has the edge?
Best Bet: Tulane -4.5 (-112)
As American Athletic Conference rivals, Tulane and Memphis see each other just about every season. In last year’s head-to-head bid, the Green Wave did well to control the trenches, outrushing the Tigers 186 yards to 103. Tulane also scored three touchdowns on the ground, which is a fabulous recipe to repeat this season on the road. Worth mentioning: both quarterbacks from that day — Michael Pratt and Seth Henigan — are back for their respective schools this year.
According to ESPN’s 2023 College Football Power Index, Tulane is ranked second-best (4.2 FPI) in the American after the Southern Methodist Mustangs, which is good enough for 45th in FBS. Memphis chimes in down the list at 59th (1.0 FPI). That’s enough separation for me to make a play on Tulane ATS on the road — especially laying less than a touchdown.
At numberFire, the college football game projections concur on support for the Green Wave this week. Their model gives Tulane a 78.5% chance of victory, showing an estimated 30.01-19.04 winning score. Let’s ride the wave!
Fresno State Bulldogs vs. Utah State Aggies Odds & Best Bet
- Time: 8 p.m. EST
- TV: CBSSN
- Spread: FRES -5.5
- Moneyline: FRES -235/USU +190
- Total: 57.5 (-105/-115)
Fresno State (5-1 SU) just went 364 days between losses, which has got to put a chip on their shoulder after dropping a game to the Wyoming Cowboys last week. Over that span (one day short of an entire year), the Bulldogs had fired off 14 consecutive wins. Can they reignite a new streak this weekend in Logan, Utah?
The Aggies (3-3 SU & ATS) play their football just south of the Idaho border. Thankfully for the group from California’s Central Valley, true mountain weather has not set in yet. Additionally, Utah State already has already lost at home this season — a 45-38 thriller versus the James Madison Dukes.
USU is undefeated in conference play at the moment, but they have only played one Mountain West game, which was against the Colorado State Rams. This Friday evening, a tougher test awaits the Aggies; these Bulldogs are tough to tame, but then again, the Cowboys just did it.
Best Bet: Fresno State -5.5 (-105)
I have been a proponent of head coach Jeff Tedford since his days leading Aaron Rodgers, Marshawn Lynch and the California Golden Bears. With Tedford back at his alma mater Fresno State, his prowess over young quarterbacks continues. Current Bulldog starter Mikey Keene (15-4 TD-INT ratio in 2023) is the latest in a line of talented passers for Tedford, and I think the sophomore signal-caller can have a productive day against Utah State.
Looking at the latest SP+ rankings on ESPN, Fresno State carries a 5.2 rating (42nd of 133 FBS schools). On that same scale, USU yields a -5.2 score, which lands them in the bottom third of FBS (85th). The Aggies are worse on the defensive side of the ball, and that could present problems against Keene and the ‘Dogs; Fresno State is currently averaging 33.5 PPG and 402.8 YPG on offense.
— Gabriel Santiago
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