The Daily Sweat: Colorado aims for a 4-2 start against Stanford
Colorado can inch closer to bowl eligibility with a win against Stanford on Friday night.
The Buffaloes enter the Friday night game (10 p.m. ET, ESPN) as 11.5-point favorites over a rebuilding Cardinal team. Colorado is 4-2 after a win over Arizona State in Week 6 and has already eclipsed its preseason win total of 3.5.
Colorado is also 3-2-1 against the spread this season as it’s been bettors’ favorite team. Colorado games were the most-bet football games of 2023 through the early weeks of the season, and the Buffaloes have covered twice as three-touchdown underdogs.
Deion Sanders’ team has been a favorite three times so far in 2023 and is 1-1-1 after a push against the Sun Devils. Colorado beat ASU 27-24 as a 3-point favorite.
Stanford is aiming to avoid a 0-4 start in Pac-12 play. The Cardinal are 2-3 against the spread and failed to cover as a 27-point underdog in a 42-6 loss to Oregon in Week 5.
QB Ashton Daniels is the starter for Stanford, but he’s split time with Justin Lamson. Lamson is one of just three Stanford players who have rushed for more than 100 yards this season while Daniels is the only QB to throw a touchdown pass. The Cardinal offense is averaging just 5.1 yards a play while the defense is giving up 6.7 yards a play and 306 yards passing per game.
That would make you think Colorado should cover easily, right? But you should consider that Colorado enters this game on a short week while Stanford had a bye in Week 6. If Travis Hunter returns for the Buffaloes, it’s unlikely he’ll play as much as he did in the first two games. We wouldn’t be stunned if Stanford gets a cover.
Other college football action
Tulane is a 4.5-point favorite at Memphis while Fresno State is a 4.5-point favorite at Utah. The Green Wave are 3-0 when QB Michael Pratt plays. He’s completed over 75% of his passes and thrown eight TDs to just one interception.
Fresno State is 5-1 after a loss at Wyoming. The Bulldogs appear to be the best team in the West Division as former UCF QB Mikey Keene has thrown 15 TDs to just four interceptions. Both teams are 3-3 against the spread.
Early MLB championship series lines
The ALCS begins Sunday as the Houston Astros are -145 to head to the World Series. The Texas Rangers are +120 to get to their first World Series since 2011. The Rangers have the same odds as the Diamondbacks as they enter the NLCS as underdogs to the Philadelphia Phillies (-145) after Philadelphia beat the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.
Who cashed tickets Thursday?
The under was the right play in the Phillies’ 3-1 win. It was also the right play in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 19-8 victory over the Denver Broncos. Kansas City covered a 10.5-point spread in the process to move to 5-1 while Denver is now 1-5 and must enter a serious phase of self-reflection in Sean Payton’s first season.
