The college football season begins with a small appetizer on Saturday. An SEC school is traveling far, far out west to Honolulu to take on the Rainbow Warriors. In this article, we’ll list our Vanderbilt vs. Hawaii predictions for this late-night special.
Vanderbilt is favored in this game against a rebuilding Hawaii squad, but the Rainbow Warriors always have a unique advantage while playing at home on the island.
We’ll break that down along with our Vanderbilt vs. Hawaii picks for the opening weekend of college football.
Vanderbilt vs. Hawaii Predictions
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Vanderbilt vs. Hawaii Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt | -8 (-110) | -315 | O 54 (-110) |
| @ Hawaii | +8 (-110) | +280 | U 54 (-110) |
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 4 p.m. on Aug. 23.
Game Info
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 27
- Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Aloha Stadium
- TV: CBSSN
Vanderbilt vs. Hawaii Trends
Let’s take a look at some relevant betting trends for Vanderbilt vs. Hawaii:
- Hawaii finished 6-7 overall and 3-5 in the Mountain West in 2021.
- Vanderbilt finished 2-10 overall and 0-8 in the SEC in 2021.
- This will be the coaching debut for Hawaii HC Timmy Chang
- Vanderbilt HC Clark Lea is 2-10 overall and 0-8 in the SEC in one season.
- As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings reports that 59% of tickets and 80% of the money are on the favorite Vanderbilt against the spread.
- DraftKings also reports that 62% of betting tickets and 69% of the handle have selected Under 54 total points.
A New Era In Honolulu
The Fighting Rainbows are in full rebuild mode. Many of their players headed out via the transfer portal, so it will be a challenging task for former Hawaii quarterback and rookie head coach Timmy Chang to pull off a win.
With 2021 starting quarterback Chevan Cordeiro being one of those transfers, they will hand the offense over to sophomore QB Brayden Schager.
Cordero missed a couple of games due to injury last year, allowing Schager to get a couple of starts. He did well against New Mexico State with 219 passing yards and an 86.8 completion percentage but had turnover problems with four picks against Nevada.
One major thing they lack now with Schager behind center is mobility. Cordero could take off and extend plays with his feet, while Schager is strictly a pocket passer. The Hawaii offensive line allowed 38 sacks last year, but they could potentially contain the Vandy pass rush, whose nine sacks were the fewest in the country.
Vanderbilt Destined To Improve
Last year at quarterback, it was a weekly coin flip on if it would be Ken Seals and Michael Wright as the starter. Neither was particularly great as the team finished last in the SEC in passing yards (189.7).
Wright earned the starting position in the spring with freshman AJ Swarm as the backup and Seals at third string. Wright can take off when he needs to, and the offense’s best bet is to move the ball on the ground.
We’re going to see Rocko Griffin, Patrick Smith, and Re’Mahn Davis rotate in the backfield. We could also see some impressive numbers on the ground against a Hawaii offense that was ninth in rushing defense in the Moutain West.
Vanderbilt vs. Hawaii Predictions
Both of these teams are not going to have many wins this season. There’s a big change going on for Hawaii, and Vanderbilt does not have a solid roster.
The Commodores are not the cream of the crop, but they still have players good enough to compete at a Power Five school in the SEC. They should roll over the Fighting Rainbows who failed to finish above .500 last season.
Prediction 1: Vanderbilt -8 | -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook
The Fighting Rainbows will likely sling the ball while playing from behind. Vanderbilt’s passing defense was also not the best last year. They were 118th in passing defense, so expect Hawaii to get some points on the board.
The Commodores are going to pound away on the ground throughout this game, and Hawaii finished last season 71st in rushing defense. To make it worse, Hawaii lost their best player on the front seven, Darius Muasu, to the portal. Expect Vandy to run at will in this game and potentially break off some long touchdowns.
Prediction 2: Over 54 total points | -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook
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