Texas opens as 32.5-point favorites vs. Colorado State

Entering Week 1 of the regular season, No. 4 Texas football is a heavy favorite at home against head coach Jay Norvell and the Colorado State Rams at DKR on Aug. 31. Texas football will finally be back this week for Labor Day weekend as head coach Steve Sarkisian's squad looks to build momentum with a big win over Colorado State before the highly-anticipated Week 2 matchup in Ann Arbor against the defending National Champion Michigan Wolverines on Sep. 7.

Texas begins its inaugural season in the SEC in 2024 with four out of five matchups at home, starting with Colorado State in Week 1. The Michigan game on the road in Ann Arbor next weekend is Texas's only contest away from the friendly confines of DKR in Austin during the first month of the regular season in late August through the last weekend of September.

It'll be a hot one at DKR on Saturday afternoon (kickoff time at 2:30 p.m. CT) between Texas and Colorado State. Early projections for the weather forecast in Austin on Aug. 31 in the afternoon during the game are in the low-to-mid 90s and with a chance of rain.

Texas has high expectations entering the 2024 regular season, being ranked in the top five of both major preseason polls for the first time since 2009. Sarkisian and staff have an abundance of returning talent and experience on both sides of the ball, led by third-year starting quarterback Quinn Ewers on offense.

Last year, Texas won the Big 12 Championship for the first time since 2009 and made the program's first ever appearance in the four-team College Football Playoff. Sarkisian had his best result of his three seasons at Texas, winning a dozen games (including four over ranked opponents) in 2023.

Colorado State returns one of the top quarterback-to-wide receiver connections in the Group of Five in college football this season. Sophomore quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicosi and star wide receiver Tory Horton were rumored to have been courted with multiple six-figure offers to leave for other Power 4 schools via the transfer portal during the offseason but wanted to stay with the Rams for another season.

The Rams' offense, and more specifically the passing game with Fowler-Nicosi and Horton, will test what is expected to be an improved Texas secondary this fall in Week 1.

Here’s a look at the opening betting odds for the regular season opener between No. 4 Texas and Colorado State at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX, on Aug. 31 at 2:30 p.m. CT.

Texas football vs. Colorado State: Opening odds for Week 1

Texas opens up as a 32.5-point favorite against Colorado State in Week 1 (per Caesers Sportsbook). The over/under is set at 59.5 points.

Sarkisian and the Longhorns are heavily favored in the moneyline (-7500) over Colorado State (+2500).

Last season, Texas was 7-6-1 against the spread. Texas hit the under six times out of 14 games in 2023 (per TeamRankings).

Colorado State, meanwhile, was 4-8-0 against the spread last season. The Rams hit the under six times out of 12 games.

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