Vanderbilt vs Hawaii Odds, Spread and Prediction

• Vanderbilt is an 8.5-point road favorite against Hawaii in the season opener for both
• The Rainbow Warriors are starting over behind new coach and QB legend Timmy Chang
• Read below for Vanderbilt vs Hawaii analysis, odds and a betting prediction

Vanderbilt opens the season as an 8.5-point road favorite against Hawaii at 10:30 pm ET Saturday, August 27 on the CBS Sports Network in the first meeting between the two. The Commodores were 2-10 SU and 6-6 ATS last season.

Hawaii was 6-7 SU and 5-7-1 ATS in 2021, coach Todd Graham’s second and final season. The Rainbow Warriors accepted an invitation to the EasyPost Hawaii Bowl, but the game was canceled because of COVID-19 issues in their program.

Let’s take a look at the Vanderbilt vs Hawaii odds and find the best bet for this late-night Week 0 game.

Vanderbilt vs Hawai Odds

Odds from Barstool Sportsbook on Aug. 25.

There has been considerable movement on this game since the line was posted last week. The Commodores opened as a 7-point favorite before being bet way up. The early total of 55 has dropped all the way to 52.5. Shifts of that size, both on the line and the total, are seldom seen.

Commodores Look to Rebound

Vanderbilt lost its final seven games of the 2021 season in coach Clark Lea’s first season, although it managed to keep most of the games within the number. The Commodores were 5-2 ATS in the final seven, all as an underdog of at least 16 points and three times by 30 or more, although the strength of schedule rankings again work against them in the powerful SEC.

Junior quarterback Mike Wright was named the starter this season over Ken Seals after both alternated a year ago, although neither was particularly effective for a team that finished 118th of the 130 NCAA teams in total offense. Wright and Sears combined for 13 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions, but Wright added a running component with 376 yards.

Vanderbilt has named Mike Wright Starting QB pic.twitter.com/VBj3DSW2tu

— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) July 19, 2022

The Commodores’ best offensive lineman, left tackle Tyler Steen, transferred to Alabama after entering the portal. Sophomore linebacker Miles Capers, the expected starter at the hybrid rush end/linebacker spot, suffered a season-ending knee injury in preseason.

Hawaii Regroups Behind a Legend

Simply put, the Rainbow Warriors were a temperate mess by the end of the 2021 season, beset by player discontent and a mass exodus into the transfer portal that included starting quarterback Chevan Cordeiro and running back Dae Dae Hunter before a scheduled Hawaii Bowl appearance that led to coach Todd Graham’s decision to step down.

Game week is officially here! @CoachTimmyChang and others provide insight on what to expect from Week 0 opponent Vanderbilt! Don't forget to wear your 🟢🟢 on Saturday! #BRADDAHHOOD pic.twitter.com/Q3ie1vB97f

— Hawaii Football (@HawaiiFootball) August 24, 2022

The Warriors, 6-7 a year ago, are looking to retool under new coach and school legend Timmy Chang, who passed for 17,702 yards (second in NCAA history) and 117 touchdowns while engineering June Jones’ run-and-shoot offense from 2000-04, although they are not given much of a shot to compete in the Mountain West conference title odds.

Chang’s first order of business is to sort out the quarterback position, where Pitt transfer Joey Yellen, Washington State transfer Cammon Cooper and 2021 backup Brayden Schager are competing. Yellen was Kenny Pickett’s backup a year ago, and he threw for 292 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-26 win over USC in his one start at Arizona State in 2019. All are listed as potential starters on the depth chart.

By the Numbers

Vanderbilt is 2-1 SU and ATS against the three Mountain West opponents it has faced since 2018. The Commodores beat Colorado State 24-21 as a 6.5-point underdog in Fort Collins last season and lost to UNLV 34-10 as a 15.5-point home favorite in 2019. They beat Nevada 41-10 at home in 2019,  covering a 10-point number.

Hawaii is 11-1 ATS in its previous 12 openers against FBS programs, the last coming in a 34-19 victory at Fresno State as a 3-point underdog in 2020. The Rainbow Warriors beat Arizona 45-38 as a 10.5-point home underdog in the 2019 opener. The Commodores are 3-9 in season openers since 2010 but 4-1 ATS in their last five road openers

Despite the positive ATS  numbers, neither team is expected to win as many as five games this season, according to the most recent college football win totals.

Vanderbilt vs Hawaii Prediction

Vanderbilt arrived in Hawaii last weekend and spent game week practicing and engaging in team activities. What to read into that? Probably not much. While the Rainbows were in disarray at the end of last season, they should be reinvigorated behind Chang and offensive coordinator Ian Shoemaker, whose no-huddle offense at FCS Eastern Washington generated 555.7 yards total offense (first in the FCS), 400.5 passing yards and 44 points a game. Hawaii’s ATS record in FBS openers is too good to ignore.

The pick: Hawaii +8.5 (-114)