One of the early non-conference matchups that will catch casual college football fans’ attention is a Friday night contest pitting the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets traveling west to face the Colorado Buffaloes.
Georgia Tech is looking to break the seven-win barrier that head coach Brent Key has experienced in each of the last two seasons. The Yellow Jackets faded down the stretch, dropping four of the team’s final six games.
It’s also year three for head coach Deion Sanders at Colorado. The Buffaloes experienced a breakthrough season in 2024, notching nine wins for the first time for only the second time in the previous 20 years.
Can Georgia Tech replicate last year’s season-opening magic and pull off an upset against a highly regarded opponent? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player prop wagers from this Friday night showdown.
Senior Haynes King is the unquestioned leader of the Yellow Jackets' offense in 2025. This will be King’s third year as a starter, and he’s thrown for nearly 5,000 yards in in his first two seasons leading Key’s offense.
While he’s more than capable of surpassing this total, Colorado’s rush defense has been more than suspect over the past two years. Expect him to do damage through the air and on the ground, but bettors shouldn’t expect him to cover this player prop bet.
Losing a Heisman winner and game-changing quarterback will be Colorado’s biggest challenges to overcome. There’s plenty of options for this rebuild thanks to the Buffaloes attracting more than 30 transfers in this year’s portal.
One returning player could be the key wide receiver for Colorado this season. Junior Omarion Miller has only 21 career catches for 450 yards, but he’s averaging 21.4 yards per reception. Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter is expected to be the starter on Friday, and bettors should expect the big-armed senior should target Miller often. Take the over on this player prop bet.
King isn’t the only senior leading the Yellow Jackets’ offense this season. Running back Jamal Haynes is in his final season with Georgia Tech, looking to break the 1,000-yard mark this season for the ACC dark horse contender.
Haynes had 944 rushing yards a season ago, and he posted seven games above the 71-yard mark in 2024. With his offensive line returning several key figures from 2024, expect him to pick up where he left off. Take Haynes to eclipse this player prop bet on Friday.
Traveling to open their campaign is nothing new for the Yellow Jackets. In 2024, Georgia Tech pulled off what was thought to be a monumental upset of Florida State in their season opener against ACC rival Florida State.
That win turned out to be less impressive as the Seminoles won only two games last season. Colorado looks a lot like the 2024 version of Florida State. The Buffaloes are a team that could struggle mightily this season, especially early on. Take the Yellow Jackets to cover the spread, defeating Colorado by at least a touchdown.