Thursday Night College Football: Colorado vs. Georgia Tech Expert Picks (9/3)
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Tue Sep 01, 2026, 3:50 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
ncaaf
Spread
Total
Moneyline
+6.5
104
51
-105u
+223
Spread
Total
Moneyline
-6.5
-108
50
+104o
-233
Thursday brings us 11 matchups on the College Football Week 1 slate, but we will turn our attention to what is going down at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. This contest between Colorado and Georgia Tech is the only single digit spread on the board, plus it's the only one within 20 points as well. Hopefully it's competitive like the odds suggest! Coach Prime leads his team to face off against Brent Key. Let's get into our expert picks in this matchup below to see if you agree with our analysts.
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NCAA Football Expert Insights: Colorado vs. Georgia Tech
Julian Lewis appeared in four games last season, completing 55% of his passes for 589 yards and four touchdowns
The Buffaloes do not interest me at all, as I expect them to be one of the worst teams in the Big 12. They arguably have the worst trench unit on either side of the ball in the conference, and will be relying on Julian Lewis to guide the offense. Going on the road against an experienced head coach will be a tough ask in Week 1.
As for the Yellow Jackets, I think they win and cover in this game, but I will be backing a player prop instead. Like I noted, Colorado has a VERY bad defensive line, so against a team that loves to run the ball, I could see them struggling to stop the ground attack.
Matchup Information – Colorado vs. Georgia Tech – September 3
- Venue & Location: Bobby Dodd Stadium (Atlanta, GA)
- Date: Thursday, September 3, 2026
- Kick Off: 8:00 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: ESPN
Buffaloes vs. Yellow Jackets Betting Odds
Odds listed are from BetOnline as of Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 2:38 p.m. eastern.
Spread
- Colorado +6.5 (-104)
- Georgia Tech -6.5 (-116)
Moneyline
- Colorado +195
- Georgia Tech -235
Total
- Over 51 (-105)
- Under 51 (-115)
Colorado vs. Georgia Tech: NCAA Football Expert Picks
Justice Haynes ran for 100 yards in six of his seven starts last year. Will he pick up where he left off at his new school?
Colorado vs. Georgia Tech Prediction: Yellow Jackets Win and Cover, Under 51
Best Bet: Justice Haynes (GT) Over 79.5 Rushing Yards (-114) BetOnline
We are going with a player prop for Thursday night football, our first of the 2026 NCAA Football season. Let's talk about this guy. Justice Haynes started his collegiate career for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and after two seasons, got the starting job at Michigan last year. This dude exploded.
He ran for triple digits in six of his seven starts last year, including a 20 yard rush in all of those contests before getting injured for the rest of the season. But there's no question about his athletic ability. Haynes had 7.1 yards per carry last season, and 5.7 the year prior at Alabama. Again, in just seven games last year, he averaged 17 carries per game for 122 rushing yards, and did not have a single game with less than 5.1 yards per carry.
Now, he joins a pro-style offense, that rushed the ball over 54% of the time last year. New QB Alberto Mendoza has big shoes to fill coming in for Haynes King, and I expect Brent Key to take some pressure off by pounding the rock, and giving Haynes plenty of touches. Last year, the Buffaloes were second to last in rushing yards allowed per game, giving up over 220 on the ground. Things could be just as bad this year.
I expect Georgia Tech to control this game, doing so by chewing the clock and giving Haynes plenty of work. Look for him to clear this with ease, and for us bettors to never see a double digit line for him again.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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