Houston vs Hawaii Picks and Odds – New Mexico Bowl
- Houston is a 13.5-point favorite over Hawaii in the New Mexico Bowl on Christmas Eve Thursday
- Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro leads the team in passing and rushing, totalling 2,397 yards of offense in eight games
- See the odds, spread and pick for December 24th bowl below
As the strange year 2020 winds down, it seems fitting the New Mexico Bowl will be played in Texas.
The game matches Houston against Hawaii at 3:30 p.m. ET Thursday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco. The game was moved from Albuquerque because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Houston (3-4) is a big favorite despite playing only once in the last five weeks and losing three of their last four games. Hawaii (4-4) enters with wins in two of their last three games.
Houston is also 3-4 against the spread while Hawaii is 3-5.
Houston vs Hawaii New Mexico Bowl Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | +390 | +13.5 (-114) | Over 59.5 (-110) |
| Houston | -550 | -13.5 (-106) | Under 59.5 (-110) |
Odds taken Dec. 22 from FanDuel
Houston’s Happy Tune
Quarterbacks can put up good numbers in coach Dana Holgerson’s offense and Houston junior Clayton Tune has done that this season.
Tune has thrown for 1,832 yards and 13 touchdowns in seven games while completing 60.7 percent of his passes. He has also thrown seven interceptions, though.
The Clayton Tune era begins tomorrow. Just a reminder of what he can do here pic.twitter.com/i4NmRsY85A
— Joe Broback (@joebroback) September 27, 2019
Tune does a good job of involving many different receivers. Houston has six players with at least 16 receptions.
Graduate student Kevin Corbin leads the way with 27 catches for 352 and one touchdown. Junior Nathaniel Dell has 23 receptions for 316 yards and two TDs while fifth-year senior Marquez Stevenson has added 20 catches for 307 yards and four scores.
Tune has also rushed for 269 yards and is the Cougars’ second-leading rusher behind senior Kyle Porter, who has 364 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 96 carries.
At 32.3 points per game, Houston is 36th in the nation in scoring. Hawaii is allowing 29.3 a game.
Cordeiro a Dual Threat
Hawaii sophomore quarterback Chevan Cordeiro is a threat with both his arm and legs.
Cordeiro has passed for 1,947 yards in eight games with 11 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 62.3 completion percentage. On the ground, he has compiled a team-high 450 yards and seven TDs on 108 carries.
#HawaiiFB 's version of "The Catch"…Chevan Cordeiro to JoJo Ward game winning TD! – First career start, first career (2) touchdowns & first career win! #Clutch #HawaiiFB #LiveAlohaPlayWarrior pic.twitter.com/E2UenN8lon
— Hawaii Football (@HawaiiFootball) October 9, 2018
Like Houston, the Rainbow Warriors have enviable veteran receiving depth. Four seniors have at least 29 catches, led by Jared Smart with 33 for 287 yards and a touchdown.
Right behind Smart are Rico Bussey (32 for 286, 1 TD), running back Calvin Turner (29 for 458, 5 TDs) and Melquise Stovall (29 for 231).
One knock on Cordeiro is he does not always turn his production into points. Hawaii ranks 81st in the nation with 26 points a game.
However, Houston’s defense is giving up an average of 32.6 points a game.
Hawaii concluded the regular season with a 38-21 victory over UNLV, though it did not cover the 18.5-point spread. Cordeiro had 340 yards of total offense, 252 rushing and 88 passing.
Will Cougars Be Rusty?
Houston last played Dec. 12th, losing 30-27 at Memphis as a seven-point favorite. The Cougars rallied from a 27-6 deficit in the fourth quarter to tie game but lost on Riley Patterson’s 47-yard field goal as time expired.
Tune completed 30 of 49 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns with one pick.
Before facing Memphis, though, Houston had not played since Nov. 14 as he had two games postponed because of coronavirus concerns.
Wild Last Game
The teams have not played since the 2003 Hawaii Bowl – but put on quite a show in that Christmas Day game.
The Warriors won 54-48 in triple overtime as there were 102 points scored and 1,158 total yards. Neither team was in the holiday spirit, though, as there was a brawl at midfield when the game ended.
It would be hard to top that game for excitement. However, despite being a big underdog, look for Hawaii, with Cordeiro and a veteran receiving corps, to continue its late-season momentum and slip under the number.
Pick: Hawaii +13.5 (-114)
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
