Stanford vs Hawaii Prediction, Odds & How to Watch College Football Week 0

• Hawaii is a 2.5-point home favorite over Stanford in Week 0 College Football action on Saturday, August 23
• Stanford QB Ben Gulbranson gets the nod in his sixth year after transferring from Oregon State
• Check out our early-week Stanford vs Hawaii prediction, odds and how to watch below

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College football returns with Stanford and Hawaii kicking off Week 0 in Hawaii. This will be the final CFB matchup on August 23rd to wrap up the five-game opening slate.

Stanford rolls into paradise with more questions than answers. New coach, new quarterback, new system. The Cardinal haven’t won more than four games since 2018.

Six straight years of struggles, and online sportsbooks think that trend might continue. They’ve installed Hawaii as short home favorites in the college football odds.

Stanford vs Hawaii Odds

Odds as of August 18 (2pm ET) at FanDuel Sportsbook. Be sure to take advantage of the FanDuel promo code before betting on NCAAF Week 0.

Stanford vs Hawaii Line Movement

Stanford opened as 2.5-point favorites, but the line completely flipped. Hawaii is now laying 2.5 points at home. The total dropped significantly from an opening of 55.5 to 50.5.

Public money is 100% on Hawaii with the moneyline drawing action at -130. Sharp bettors jumped on the Rainbow Warriors early, forcing the line flip.

Stanford Cardinal Team Preview

The Cardinal stumbled to another 3-9 season in 2024, their fourth straight year with that exact record. They went 2-7 in ACC play, managing just 22.8 points per game while allowing 33.7.

HAPPY GAME WEEK 🙌🌲 pic.twitter.com/iNl82agG2Z

— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) August 18, 2025

Andrew Luck brought in his former Colts coach to salvage the program. Frank Reich is the interim head coach for 2025, tasked with turning around a team that just fired Troy Taylor after some off-field issues.

Reich named Ben Gulbranson the starter on Monday. The sixth-year senior spent five seasons at Oregon State, starting 11 games and completing 61.8% of his passes for 2,648 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also threw 10 interceptions.

Cardinal Key Returning Players & Transfer Portal Additions

Here’s what’s interesting: Gulbranson went 7-1 as a starter back in 2022. He even won the Las Vegas Bowl MVP that year. But he also threw for just 943 yards in four starts last season. Those are mixed results at best.

Oregon State QB Ben Gulbranson is the MVP of the Las Vegas Bowl. pic.twitter.com/wCbel2Vn6Y

— Carter Bahns (@carterbahns) December 17, 2022

The Cardinal’s offensive line returns some pieces, and tight end Sam Roush should be a reliable target. The problem is, they lost nearly everyone at receiver and running back. Transfer additions like C.J. Williams from Wisconsin need to contribute immediately. Stanford’s one of four FBS teams not returning a player who rushed for a touchdown last season.

The defense allowed 33.7 points per game last year, finishing dead last in the ACC in their debut season. Their pass defense ranked among the worst nationally. The secondary hasn’t shown major improvement heading into 2025 either.

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Team Preview

Hawaii finished 5-7 in 2024, going 3-4 in Mountain West play. But they closed strong, winning their final game 38-30 over New Mexico behind a historic performance from their freshman quarterback.

Micah Alejado torched New Mexico for 469 yards and five touchdowns in his first career start. The freshman hasn’t thrown an interception since his junior year of high school.

In his final two games last season, he completed 69.6% of his passes. Not bad for a kid who wasn’t supposed to play.

Rainbow Warriors Returning Starters & Offensive Weapons

Timmy Chang enters Year 4 with his best roster yet. Hawaii returns 18 starters, including Alejado, who brings a different dimension to the run-and-shoot offense as a left-handed quarterback. Receivers Pofele Ashlock and Nick Cenacle both have over 1,000 career receiving yards. That’s veteran experience Stanford simply can’t match.

Defense? Corner Virdel Edwards III and safety Peter Manuma lead a unit that ranked eighth in the Mountain West preseason defensive hierarchy. Not elite, but Dennis Thurman’s group should be solid enough to compete.

Cardinal & Rainbow Warriors ATS Records Last Season

The Warriors went 6-1 ATS at home last year. They’re 5-1-1 ATS in their last six at the Ching Complex. Home field matters in Honolulu, especially when teams are crossing multiple time zones.

Stanford managed just two covers all season. The Cardinal went 0-2 ATS as favorites of three points or greater. Phil Steele picked them to finish last in the ACC again. The program’s gone 20-46 over the past six seasons.

Reich has his work cut out for him.

How to Watch Stanford vs Hawaii

• Date: Saturday, August 23, 2025
• Game Time: 7:30 PM ET
• TV: CBS
• Location: Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, HI

The game’s on CBS, which you can conveniently stream with FuboTV (sign up here). Hawaii’s playing in Week 0 for the second straight year without adding a 13th game. Chang opted for two bye weeks instead, which makes sense given the brutal travel schedule ahead.

Stanford’s traveling 26,000-plus miles this season. That’s more than the circumference of the Earth. They’re starting with a 2,400-mile trip to Hawaii for a game that kicks off at 4:30 pm local time. Body clock adjustments are real in Week 0.

Stanford vs Hawaii Prediction

Stanford’s a complete unknown with Reich taking over. Gulbranson’s experienced, sure, but he couldn’t beat out Gevani McCoy at Oregon State last year. Can he handle a full season as the starter?

Meanwhile, Hawaii’s at home with continuity on its side. Alejado looked special in limited action. The kid impressed in his first start against a decent New Mexico defense.

Welcome to Week 0. #BRADDAHHOOD x #GoBows pic.twitter.com/oS87E4woJi

— Hawaii Football (@HawaiiFootball) August 17, 2025

Think about this: Stanford’s defense gave up 414 yards per game last year. Alejado put up 469 in one game as a freshman. The math isn’t favorable for the Cardinal, especially with their secondary issues.

Both defenses have major questions. Stanford’s secondary remains suspect after last year’s disaster. Hawaii’s defense won’t intimidate anyone either, despite the returning talent. These teams could trade scores all night. Or they could struggle with first-game execution and new systems.

The total’s been hammered down five points, and there’s a reason. Week 0 games tend to be sloppy affairs. New coordinators, travel fatigue, opening-game jitters – it all factors in. Neither offense has proven enough to trust in the season’s first game. The Under is the play.

• Pick: Under 51 (-110 at Bet365)