Colorado won just three games in 2025, missing its 5.5 win total by two and a half games after a nine-win Over the year before.
That kind of swing has made the Deion Sanders-led Buffaloes tough to peg from one season to the next, and oddsmakers dropped the 2026 win total, with the Under still favored at the new number.
Here's a look at the recent history of Colorado win totals, along with predictions on whether the Buffaloes will surpass or fall short of their 2026 number of 4.5:
Colorado 2026 win total predictions
(Confidence legend: 🟢 = high, 🟡 = medium, ⚪ = low)
| Name | Outlet | Pick | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Powers |  |
UNDER 4.5 | 🟢 |
| Rob Paul | |
UNDER 4.5 | 🟢 |
| Colby Marchio | |
UNDER 4.5 | 🟢 |
| Shruthi Rajesh | CU Independent | UNDER 4.5 | 🟡 |
Covers expert betting predictions
Brad Powers
Despite returning only three starters, I’ve upgraded Colorado’s power rating a touchdown this off-season. Still, my ratings only project them to be favored in two games this year (Weber State and UCF). They play three road games and Texas Tech by Oct. 3.
Rob Paul
This year’s Colorado team seems more likely to win just one game than five. The schedule is No. 44 in SOS (.559), and the Buffaloes are ranked outside of the top 50 in returning production (55%). And while Deion Sanders has a top-25 transfer portal class, it’s being inflated by the sheer number of new faces Coach Prime is bringing in.
Of Colorado’s 43 transfer additions, only three are four-star transfers, and one of those is Boo Carter, who was kicked off of Tennessee’s team last season; the others are Texas transfers DeAndre Moore Jr. and Liona Lefau.
For Colorado to push for 5+ wins, Sanders needs Julian Lewis to be a star. That’s a big ask for a young QB playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the country. It doesn’t help that the projected starting defense is made up entirely of transfers.
Colby Marchio
My initial question is, how much longer is Deion Sanders going to stay in Colorado?
This is not me questioning how invested the head coach is, as he remains heavily involved and does plenty of commercials during the college football season. I am more wondering about his health, as he deals with a lot on a regular basis, and how much longer he wants to continue coaching.
That said, Sanders went all out in the portal this offseason, bringing in 40 new transfers. They also have a new offensive coordinator in Brennan Marion, who is now on his 14th job over the last 16 years. Yikes.
The defense will also have a new coordinator in Chris Marve, who comes over from Virginia Tech. There is just so much change across this program that makes it difficult for me to get invested.
I believe year two of Sanders was the outlier, and I do not expect them to replicate that highly overrated 2024 season.
📰 Colorado media win total predictions
Shruthi Rajesh, CU Independent
I’m leaning under because I think we have a lot of talent, but not necessarily a lot of continuity.
The Buffs added 61 new players, 42 transfers and 19 recruits, while also bringing in new coordinators Brennan Marion and Chris Marve, so to me the bigger concern isn’t whether the new players are talented, but how quickly they can start playing like a team instead of a collection of individuals.
Colorado also has six road games, including three of its first four, so I could see the Buffs finishing around 4-8, with the difference between four and five wins potentially coming down to how quickly that chemistry develops.
Colorado win totals, odds and results (2008-25)
(Colorado historical win totals courtesy Sports Odds History)
| Year | Win Total | Over | Under | Actual Wins | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.5 | -140 | +120 | 3 | Under |
| 2024 | 5.5 | -135 | +110 | 9 | Over |
| 2023 | 3.5 | +105 | -125 | 4 | Over |
| 2022 | 3.5 | +165 | -200 | 1 | Under |
| 2021 | 4.5 | -115 | -105 | 4 | Under |
| 2019 | 4 | +100 | -120 | 5 | Over |
| 2018 | 5 | +100 | -120 | 5 | Push |
| 2017 | 7 | +130 | -150 | 5 | Under |
| 2008 | 6 | N/A | N/A | 5 | Under |
🔑 Key takeaways
- Overall record leans Under: five Unders, three Overs, one push across nine graded seasons.
- The last four seasons refuse to settle into a pattern: Under, Over, Over, Under. Anyone claiming to have Colorado figured out right now is guessing.
- 2024 to 2025 was a genuine cliff: Nine wins one year, three the next. Few programs anywhere have swung that hard in a single offseason.
How Colorado win totals are priced
A nine-win team losing six games worth of production in a single offseason is exactly the kind of collapse that makes a number hard to trust. Books responded by cutting Colorado's total from 5.5 to 4.5, and they're still leaning Under at the new, lower number, favored at -160 against +134 on the Over. That's not a market that thinks last year was a blip.
The conference number reads differently. Set at 2.5 with both sides at -110, it's priced as a genuine coin flip, no real opinion baked in either direction. When the overall total and the conference total disagree that much on conviction, it's usually a sign the disagreement is really about the non-conference slate.
Colorado's 2018 season is the only push in its win total history, finishing with exactly five wins against a win total of five.
Colorado win total FAQs
Will Colorado make the CFP?
Colorado is priced at +9000 to make the 2026-27 College Football Playoff.
What is Colorado's projected win total?
The Buffaloes' win total sits at 4.5 for 2026, with the Over at +134 and the Under at -160.
Who is Colorado's starting QB?
Julian Lewis is the man for the Buffaloes, opening the season as the QB1. He threw for 589 yards with four touchdowns in limited action last season.
What's the best bet for Colorado this season?
Based on our expert consensus, the Buffaloes are one of the most emphatic UNDER plays on the board in 2026.
