Public bettors are putting a lot of cash on the Colorado Buffaloes

The public doesn’t just believe Shedeur Sanders will win the Heisman Trophy in 2024, many folks are bucking the bigwigs at sportsbooks and think the Colorado Buffaloes will make and win the College Football Playoff.

As crazy as it seems for a team Vegas projects with a 5.5 win total to end up as a top 12 team in the country, the public loves Deion Sanders and the impact he’s already had in Boulder going into his second year on the field.

According to sports gambling reporter Ben Fawkes, the Buffs represent the biggest liability to make the College Football Playoff and win the Big 12. They are the second-biggest liability to win the national championship. Meaning, a lot of folks keep betting on the black and gold, and operators aren’t budging—confident in their models that say CU will not succeed to those high heights.

Meanwhile, the most-bet win total in college football is over on 5.5 wins for Coach Prime’s crew, which means a bowl game could be coming for the folks in Boulder if the public is right. It would be just the second bowl game in a full season for the program since 2007 and a huge step forward.

The public bettors believe the success will start immediately, with Colorado covering a 9.5 spread against North Dakota State for their game on Thursday being the most-wagered line for Week 1 in college football. That wager also has more money on it than any other in Week 1. The most bets of any side are on Colorado, only 62% of the bets for the game are on Buffaloes—showing there are plenty of haters and doubters for Sanders right out of the gate.

Last season the Buffaloes hit their over very early at 3.5 wins. But the team went on a giant losing streak and ended with just four in total. Still, Colorado was consistently one of the most-wagered on teams in the country, and the eyeballs followed the money with TV ratings soaring to watch the Sanders brothers, Travis Hunter and the hoopla that followed Prime.