[jwplayer 64hUO9C8]
The San Diego State Aztecs (8-2, 5-2) meet the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (7-4, 4-3) Saturday night in a Mountain West Conference game. Kickoff is set for 11 p.m. ET at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.
We analyze the San Diego State-Hawaii odds and betting lines while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.
San Diego State at Hawaii: Three things you need to know
1. Hawaii relies a lot on its QB, Cole McDonald. The dual-threat junior can run (396 yards) and throw (3,007). He does take a few too many shots in the open field and down the field which has led to 12 interceptions and 25 touchdowns — a pick for every two TDs thrown. Last season he had 3.6 touchdowns for every interception.
2. San Diego State has one of the stingiest defenses in the nation that few know about. The Aztecs yield just 270.1 yards per game (eighth in the nation) and their eye-popping 65.8 yards yielded per contest on the ground is second in the FBS. SDSU’s 13.7 points allowed per game is also eighth in the nation but the Aztecs’ 20.4 points scored per game is 113th in the nation.
3. Hawaii must start quickly and force San Diego State’s offense into mistakes. If the Aztecs get a few stops early, their defense can feed off of that momentum and make this a low-scoring match.
BetMGM is offering a NEW Customer Offer in New Jersey:
Risk-free bet up to $500 (paid in free bets)! Place your bets at BetMGM.
San Jose State at Hawaii: Odds, betting lines and picks
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 7:40 AM ET.
Prediction
Hawaii 24, San Diego State 20
Moneyline (ML)
Hawaii is a -143 favorite playing at home. The Rainbow Warriors enjoy a solid home-field advantage but San Diego State is an astonishing 5-0 on the road.
San Diego State has an efficient offense but is nowhere near as dangerous with the ball as is Hawaii. Again, it is the Aztecs defense that will be key in determining how this game will go. The visitors should hold Hawaii down enough to keep this game interesting.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors to win straight up returns a profit of $6.99.
Against the Spread (ATS)
Oddly enough, Hawaii is 2-4 ATS at home enough while SDSU is 4-1 on the road, hitting 4.7 points per game above projections.
Lately, Hawaii is turning the ball over way too much and getting burned too often. The funny thing is they went ahead and won a defensive slugfest at UNLV last week 21-7. This week may be somewhat similar, but with the Rainbow Warriors favored at -3.5, +105, it may be too close for the spread here. AVOID.
Over/Under (O/U)
The O/U is 48 (-110 on both sides). The final could come close but more than likely, this comes down to the fourth quarter.
That over will still be dicey as point projections are right around 48 for this game. This game comes down to a possible backdoor cover at the end. TAKE THE UNDER here and hope San Diego State’s defense does not crumble.
Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1623]