The college bowl season is underway and the yearly tradition of Christmas Eve in Honolulu continues. The SoFi Hawaii Bowl features the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (9-5) and the BYU Cougars (7-5) Christmas Eve at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu at 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the BYU-Hawaii odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.
BYU vs. Hawaii: Three things you need to know
1. Hawaii QB Cole McDonald has passed for 3,642 yards and 29 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. He has also rushed for 393 yards and six touchdowns.
2. BYU beat Boise State 28-25 this season, a team that defeated Hawaii twice (31-10 and 59-37).
3. BYU’s rushing attack was led by RB Sione Finau, who has 359 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. TE Matt Bushman led the passing attack with 597 yards and four touchdowns.
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BYU vs. Hawaii: Odds, betting lines and picks
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday at 10:45 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Hawaii 24, BYU 23
Moneyline (ML)
The two teams are fairly even. BYU (-125) doesn’t give you the value of Hawaii (+105) but you can still win enough to make it worth a wager. Both teams have five losses this season; however, Hawaii is 6-2 at home and will get to stay on the island for Christmas. Take the RAINBOW WARRIORS (+105).
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Hawaii to win outright returns a profit of $10.50.
Against the Spread (ATS)
BYU (-2.5, +100) is a modest favorite, but it has been very inconsistent all season. The Cougars covered the spread only four times this season (4-8). Hawaii, on the other hand, covered in half their games (7-7). The Cougars split their six road games straight up this season but the Warriors won six of eight at home.
With the game in Honolulu, expect the Warriors to cover and win outright. Take the points with HAWAII (+2.5, -121).
Over/Under (O/U)
The total is set at 62.5 points. BYU games went 5-5-1 against the projected totals. Eight of Hawaii’s 14 games went Over the projected total. Expect a slow start the teams can’t recover from in terms of total points. Take the UNDER 62.5 (-110).
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