Colorado State vs. Texas prediction, odds, pick for College Football Week 1
Texas will kick off its first season in the SEC when it hosts Mountain West foe Colorado State in Week 1 action at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. We continue our college football odds series with a Colorado State-Texas prediction, pick, and how to watch.
The Longhorns are coming off a College Football Playoff appearance, and head coach Steve Sarkisian’s team currently has the fourth-best odds (+850) in the country to win the 2025 national championship. With a deep roster and incredible quarterback room, Texas is the early frontrunner to challenge Georgia’s quest for an SEC title.
As for the Rams, they did earn five wins a season ago – the most they’ve won since 2017 – and Jay Norvell will try to take another step in pushing Colorado State back to a bowl game.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Colorado State-Texas Odds
Colorado State: +31.5 (-108)
Moneyline: +2400
Texas: -31.5 (-112)
Moneyline: -10000
Over: 59.5 (-115)
Under: 59.5 (-105)
How to Watch Colorado State vs. Texas
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Colorado State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Will the Texas offense be as dynamic as it was in 2023? It’s a fair question to ask.
For starters, the Longhorns lost huge pieces at wide receiver in first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy (73 RECs, 969 YDs, 5 TDs) and second-round draft pick Adonai Mitchell (51 RECs, 813 YDs, 10 TDs), and their top five receivers overall. Texas did add two impact transfers in Silas Bolden (54 RECs, 746 YDs, 5 TDs) from Oregon State and Isaiah Bond (48 RECs, 668 YDs, 4 TDs) from Alabama, but they have a lot on their shoulders to replace all that production.
Then came the two season-ending injuries to running backs CJ Baxter (the projected starter) and Christian Clark earlier this month. That puts the pressure on junior Jaydon Blue, who had 65 carries for 398 yards and three touchdowns last season.
The Texas defense also has to replace a pair of standouts up front in Seattle Seahawks first-round draft pick Byron Murphy II (29 tackles, five sacks) and Tennessee Titans second-round draft pick T’Vondre Sweat (45 tackles, 2 sacks).
As if those exits weren’t enough to give Colorado State a boost of confidence, there’s also the fact that this should be Norvell’s best team yet in Fort Collins.
Why Texas Will Cover The Spread/Win
Even with the NFL exits and preseason injury woes, Texas has the fourth-best odds (+850) to win the 2025 college football national championship.
The primary reason is what Sarkisian has to work with under center. Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning are the best quarterback duo in the sport, and both have the tools to lead the Longhorns to their first national title since 2005. Ewers completed 69.0 percent of his throws for 3,479 yards for 22 touchdowns a season ago while adding five rushing touchdowns. Manning only attempted five passes, but the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class is waiting his turn and will be ready to shine if needed.
Both will benefit from one of the nation’s top offensive lines which may not be getting enough respect. Four starters return to anchor a group that should push around the Colorado State defensive front, and in turn, allow Texas to get what it wants on offense.
The Rams have a high-volume quarterback in Braydon Fowler-Nicolosi (290 completions on 470 attempts for 3,460 YDs, 22 TDs, and 16 INTs) and Mountain West Preseason First Team selection Tory Horton (96 RECs, 1,136 YDs, 8 TDs) to work within their offense, but the Longhorns have one of the best secondaries in the country.
If Sarkisian can make the most of his playmakers on both sides of the ball, Texas should make an emphatic statement in their quest to get back into the national title picture.
Final Colorado State-Texas Prediction & Pick
Remember when Colorado State nearly beat national darling Colorado in Boulder last season?
While the Buffaloes won the double overtime thriller, it proved that Norvell’s squad was starting to figure some things out. The following week, they went and won at Middle Tennessee, who lost 23-19 a few weeks earlier to eventual top 10 team Missouri. Colorado State is better equipped for those kinds of games this season with a more talented roster, even if they are a big underdog in this particular matchup.
Texas should score early and often and force enough mistakes to keep the Rams’ offense chasing points, but this is a large number to cover against what figures to be a solid bowl team.
That extra half-point is always important, and there’s enough value to take a chance on Colorado State in this spot.
Final Colorado State-Texas Prediction & Pick: Colorado State +31.5 (-108)
The post Colorado State vs. Texas prediction, odds, pick for College Football Week 1 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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