It’s a logjam in the Pac-12 South and a must-win game for both sides when Arizona hosts Colorado on Friday night at 10:30 p.m. ET. The latest Colorado vs. Arizona odds list the host Wildcats as three-point favorites. The over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 56.5, down sharply from an open of 59. Utah has two losses, while every other team in the South Division has three, so every school is still in it. Before you make your Colorado vs. Arizona picks, you need to hear what SportsLine college football expert Zack Cimini has to say. 

The fast-rising Las Vegas handicapper has turned a profit in every sport, but he’s tremendously adept at sniffing out spread winners in college football. He’s hit on nine of his last 13 overall picks and has been on-target when it comes to spread picks for or against Arizona — a perfect 4-0. Now, he has scrutinized Arizona vs. Colorado from every possible angle to reveal a strong point-spread pick that he’s only sharing at SportsLine.

Cimini knows Colorado has fallen on hard times since starting the season 5-0. The Buffaloes have lost three in a row to fall to 5-3 and 2-3 in the Pac-12. Things hit rock-bottom last week in a 41-34 OT loss to Oregon State. The Buffs led 31-3 before falling apart for the biggest blown lead in program history.

QB Steven Montez rebounded from a two-game slump by throwing for 319 yards, two TDs and no INTs against Oregon State. Colorado still potentially has one of the more-formidable passing games, led by Montez and a pair of standout pass-catchers in Laviska Shenault (60 receptions for 780 yards and six TDs in just six games) and K.D. Nixon (46-560-3). 

Just because Colorado has the tools to turn things around doesn’t mean it will against an Arizona team brimming with confidence. 

While Colorado is coming off its worst loss of the season, Arizona comes in following its best win, trouncing No. 15 Oregon, 44-15. QB Khalil Tate moved to 3-0 on the season when he completes more than 54 percent of his passes. 

The Wildcats’ offense ranks 39th in total yards, averaging 236 passing and 205 rushing, but it is sparked by RB J.J. Taylor, who has 1,579 all-purpose yards, tops in the country. The offense also has a go-to WR in Shun Brown — the senior registered a career-high 10 passes for 96 yards and a score against the Ducks. 

Arizona’s defense has seen a massive adjustment under first-year coach Kevin Sumlin. The Wildcats allowed between 34 and 38 points per game in each of the last three seasons, but this year Arizona is allowing 28.1 overall and just 23.8 in Pac-12 games.

We can tell you Cimini is leaning toward the over, but he has uncovered a crucial x-factor that will determine which side of the spread hits hard. He’s sharing what it is, and who to back, over at SportsLine. 

So which side of the spread should you back for Colorado vs. Arizona, and which crucial x-factor determines the outcome? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to be all over, all from the expert who’s riding a perfect 4-0 streak on his Arizona picks.

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