Hawaii Bowl Picks & Odds: Rainbow Warriors 2-Point Underdogs Despite Home Field Advantage
- BYU (7-5) travels to Honolulu to face Hawaii (9-5) in the Hawaii Bowl
- The Rainbow Warriors beat SDSU this season while the Cougars lost to them their last game
- WR Cedric Byrd is the most electric player in this bowl game and is expected to build on the 95 receptions and 1,068 yards he put up in the regular season
There’s home field advantage and then there is the Hawaii bowl that’s played between BYU and, well, Hawaii.
Hawaii Bowl Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| BYU Cougars | -2 (-110) | -125 | O 64 (-110) |
| Hawaii Rainbow Warriors | +2 (-110) | +105 | U 64 (-110) |
Odds taken Dec. 17
The Rainbow Warriors have the clearest home-field advantage ever but are still on the board as 2-point underdogs in the Hawaii vs BYU odds. Take the points or take the moneyline, that decision is yours, but whatever you do bet on Hawaii and here’s why.
Common Opponent Provides Valuable Information
Both Hawaii and BYU played San Diego State this year and that helps give some context to the capability of both teams in this game. Earlier this year the Rainbow Warriors won a slugfest against the Aztecs 14-11. The game may have been ugly but Hawaii moved on after collecting the victory.
We are exactly one week away until kickoff! There's still time to purchase tickets if you haven't already done so; visit https://t.co/7IzsdCopA7 today! #SoFi #SoFiHawaiiBowl #MadeInHawaiiPlayedInHawaii #CFB #Honolulu #Hawaii #HawaiiSports pic.twitter.com/QnOOOdmY5f
— SoFi Hawai'i Bowl (@HawaiiBowl) December 17, 2019
Last week SDSU met the Cougars and shut them down almost entirely, coming away with a 13-3 win. Neither team was very successful on offense and that could lead you to consider the “Under” here, but I’m choosing to use this as evidence Hawaii may just be the better football team.
Dynamic Duo of McDonald & Byrd Worth Watching
Hawaii has a potent offensive attack thanks to quarterback Cole McDonald and star wide receiver Cedric Byrd. McDonald completed over 64% of his passes this year for 3,642 yards and 29 touchdowns. 10 of those scores were thrown to the electric Byrd who finished third in the country with 95 receptions despite a 5’9″ frame.
What a season opener for @HawaiiFootball WR Cedric Byrd II:
? 1st FBS WR to record 4 TD catches in opening game in over 20 years
? 14 catches for 224 yards
? Helps lead upset over Arizona pic.twitter.com/dyMW7kTEbM— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) August 25, 2019
Hawaii loves to get the ball out fast and the speedy Byrd allows them to do just that. He had over 1,000 receiving yards this year and I would expect him to see the ball early and often against a BYU team that almost never gets to the quarterback. The Cougars finished the year with only 12 sacks which was more than only Middle Tennessee and Akron.
Hawaii Needs to Win Turnover Battle
One cause for pause when it comes to the Rainbow Warriors? Their penchant for turning the ball over. They had a -14 turnover margin and BYU just so happens to be 6-2 when they win the turnover battle. If Hawaii can hold on to the ball I don’t have any doubt their offense will be able to not only keep pace with BYU but to outscore them and win this home field bowl game straight up.
Manoa mist while prepping for the Hawai’i Bowl. ? ? #HawaiiFB #LiveAlohaPlayWarrior pic.twitter.com/vgag3SZKKx
— Hawaii Football (@HawaiiFootball) December 16, 2019
One last piece of advice to help drive the point home – BYU was 4-8 against the spread this year. Hawaii was only 7-7 but that looks great compared to the underwhelming Cougars.
Pick: Hawaii Moneyline (+105)
Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
