BYU Cougars vs Colorado Buffaloes Prediction, 12/28/2024 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: BYU Cougars vs Colorado Buffaloes

Date: Saturday, December 28, 2024

Location: Alamodome in San Antonio, TX

TV: ABC

Odds/Point Spread: Buffaloes (-2.5)

Total/Over-Under: 53

The BYU Cougars (10-2) are en route to Alamodome on Saturday, December 28, 2024 where they will take on the Colorado Buffaloes (9-3) in the Valero Alamo Bowl. Colorado opens this contest as 2.5-point favorites. The total has been set at 53.

The BYU Cougars come into this game with a record of 10-2 this season. The last time they took the field, the Cougars played against the Houston Cougars and earned the victory with a final of 30-18. Once the final whistle blew, they ran 58 plays which gave them a total of 356 yds. The BYU Cougars rushed the ball a total of 39 different times and amassed 189 yards, which came out to an average of 4.8 yards per attempt. On the ground, the Cougars gave up 94 yards on 37 tries, which averages out to 2.5 yds per run allowed. BYU relinquished 16 completions on 25 tries for a total of 156 yards, and a completion rate of 64.0%.

Regarding scoring points, the BYU Cougars have an average of 30.8 points per contest. As a team they average 159.4 yards in the run game which has them sitting 72nd in D-1. The Cougars have earned 4,769 total yards over the course of this season. When it comes to getting the ball in the endzone, BYU has amassed 22 touchdowns through the air and 17 touchdowns via the ground. BYU has compiled 268 first downs, and they have been hurt by 58 penalties for 481 yards. They have surrendered the ball 18 different times.

The Cougars are sitting in 20th in college football regarding team defense, conceding 20.1 PPG. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.0 yards per rush and 136.7 rushing yards per game so far this season. Over the course of this year, they have conceded 1,640 yards via the ground game in 12 games. Regarding yards via the pass, the Cougars are conceding 2,164 yds which ranks them 15th in the nation. They have allowed 180.3 yards per outing via the pass in addition to conceding a completion percentage of 54.5%. During the season, they have yielded 317.0 yards per game ranking them 20th in the nation. They have allowed 11 touchdowns through the air as well as 18 touchdowns on the ground.

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The Buffaloes step onto the field holding a record of 9-3 for this season. The last time they took the field, the Buffaloes took home the win by a final score of 52-0 when they faced the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Buffaloes finished the contest with a total of 471 yds while running 71 plays (6.6 yards per play). Colorado ran for 1.1 yds per attempt, finishing with 33 yds on 29 carries. Colorado gave up 31 rushing attempts for 70 yards (2.3 yds per rush). The Buffaloes secondary conceded a completion percentage of 35.3%, relinquishing 77 yards on 12 for 34 through the air.

Regarding their scoring prowess, the Buffaloes are ranking 22nd in the nation with 34.5 points per outing. The Colorado Buffaloes have an average of 397.6 yards per outing, which ranks them 56th in Division 1. The Colorado offense has compiled 817 yds of penalties on 92 violations, which has them ranked 16th in the country in terms of giving up free yards. They have thrown 8 interceptions while allowing opponents to recover 5 fumbles and they have been able to earn 256 first downs. Over the course of the season to this point, the Buffaloes have thrown for a total of 3,926 passing yards in addition to an average of 327.2 passing yards per contest, ranking them 4th in college football. They average 70.4 run yards per game and have rushed for 845 yards in total.

Colorado has allowed a total of 1,788 rushing yards (149.0 yards per outing) as well as 14 touchdowns rushing this year. They have allowed 16 touchdowns through the air as well as 204.7 yards per game, which has them sitting 45th in the country. Their defense has 12 fumbles and 12 picks on the year. The Buffaloes defense has been on the field for 838 plays, which has them ranked 95th in D-1. The Buffaloes are relinquishing 22.0 PPG, which puts them 38th in the country. Overall, they have surrendered 264 points in total.

Who will win tonight's Cougars/Buffaloes college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Buffaloes -2.5

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