For head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes, there won't be much rest over these next few months -- and there never is for the wicked.

In Sanders' first and only campaign as part of the Pac-12, Coach Prime guided the Buffaloes to a meteoric 3-0 start only to lose eight of their next nine contests. By recent season's end, Colorado finished with an overall record of 4-8 (incl. 1-8 in conference play).

Now approaching his second season leading a Power 5 program, Sanders has heightened expectations for 2024. Of course, we should remember that the Buffs are returning to the Big 12 next academic year.

Before spring ball gets up and running, let's have a look at Colorado's 2024-25 win total at FanDuel Sportsbook while taking both perspectives.

All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

Colorado Football Win Total Odds

Colorado Football Over/Under 4.5 Wins

• Over: -146
• Under: +112

Colorado 2024 Football Schedule

Why Colorado Could Win Over 4.5 Games (-146)

In the modern/NIL era of college football, we can and should expect the transfer portal to be annually saturated with dynamic talent.

Naturally, this free-market atmosphere will benefit high-profile figures like Sanders, who is an NFL Hall of Famer, two-time Super Bowl champion, and arguably the best cover corner of all-time. Given a choice, who wouldn't be thrilled at the idea of playing for Coach Prime in beautiful Boulder?

Since the recent season ended, CU has already received 25 transfer commitments. According to 247Sports, six of those newcomers are considered to be four-star players. Of that elite crop, former Houston Cougars offensive guard Tyler Johnson (6-foot-5, 320 lbs) and Pittsburgh Panthers transfer edge-rusher Sam Okunlola (five sacks, 1 FF in 2023) should have the most immediate impact.

The Buffs obviously had issues protecting Shedeur Sanders last year; the star quarterback was sacked an FBS-leading 52 times. Subsequently, Colorado was bleached for 34.8 points per game (PPG) against in 2023, which was a bottom-10 clip within Division I football. On the other side of that, CU got to opposing quarterbacks on only 27 occasions -- a figure Okunlola and others should bump.

Out of the gate, we know the Buffaloes will start the 2024 season by hosting North Dakota State (FCS) at Folsom Field on concluding day of August. At FanDuel Sportsbook, Colorado is listed as an early 8.5-point favorite versus NDSU. From there, CU will visit an old rival in the Nebraska Cornhuskers on September 7th -- a team the Buffs trounced 36-14 last year.

Going against a win total of 4.5 games, Colorado has two very winnable tests right out of the gate. After that, they'll have an adversarial clash in Fort Collins on September 14th; as we saw last season, it is personal with Coach Prime and the Colorado State Rams. In that intrastate series, I'd expect the Buffs to make a statement against CSU head coach Jay Norvell.

Why Colorado Could Win Under 4.5 Games (+112)

Although the entire regular season schedule has yet to be worked out, the Buffaloes are still left with some fairly stiff competition in 2023.

The Pac-12 was challenging last year, but the Big 12 will pull no punches upon returning Colorado amongst the ranks. Sure, the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners are leaving the conference for the SEC, but CU can still expect to see strong programs like the Arizona Wildcats, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Kansas Jayhawks, Utah Utes, Oklahoma State Cowboys and Kansas State Wildcats.

That aforementioned bunch will account for the majority of Colorado's conference schedule next season. Based on results and data from 2023, the Buffs could eventually be listed as underdogs in every one of those contests.

Boulder's remaining 2024 opponents are the Central Florida Knights, Baylor Bears and Cincinnati Bearcats. If the Buffaloes are to eclipse their win total of 4.5 games, they'll almost certainly need to win at least two of those three games in question.

As noted in the section above, dynamic quarterback Shedeur Sanders led all of college football in terms of getting sacked. Colorado has taken measures to improve the senior signal-caller's protection. Still, that will be easier said than done. Candidly, it will be tough for the Buffs to win any game wherein Sanders is continuously picking himself up from the turf.

Lastly, Coach Prime will need to master the art of coaching deep into a season. Last year, I think we all remember the energy level that CU started the campaign with. Still, the Buffs ended 2023 on a six-game losing streak. Whether it is for cashing win totals or becoming bowl eligible, cascading slides of that nature have to be avoided at all costs.

Interested in other college football win totals or looking for the latest college football odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the college football betting options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.