UCLA vs Hawaii Betting Picks & Predictions: Bruins Favored in Season Opener

UCLA Bruins (0-0 SU, ATS 0-0) vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (1-0 SU, ATS 0-0)

Date: 7:30 EST Saturday, August 31st

Location: Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, HI

TV: CBS

Point Spread: UCLA -14/UH +14 (Bet smarter! STOP laying -110 odds! Start laying -105 by betting at reduced juice! It’ll change the way you bet on football FOREVER!

Money Line: UCLA -588/UH +413

Over/Under: 54.5

UCLA is favored by -14 points as they head into their week one non-conference matchup against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. The game is set for 7:30 ET on Saturday, August 31st, and will be played at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu. CBS is handling the television broadcast. The over/under line is currently 54.5 points, and the money line odds sit at -588 for UCLA and +413 for Hawaii, who already have one win this season.

Head-to-Head Matchup:

The UCLA Bruins and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors did not have any head-to-head matchups last season. But over the last three times playing each other, the UCLA Bruins have a record of 2-1. However, against the spread the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors went 2-1. The over/under record in these matchups was 1-2 on an average of 49 points per game.

UCLA Bruins Recent Form:

Last season, UCLA was 6-4 when favored and 2-1 as the underdog. The Bruins finished with an 8-5 overall record, including going 4-2 at home and 4-3 on the road. This season, UCLA is ranked 41st in our pre-season power rankings, with a 51.8% chance of being bowl-eligible. However, their odds of winning the Big Ten are just 0.2%, and in the futures market, they are a long shot at +18817 to win the conference, placing them 12th out of 18 teams.

UCLA’s offense last season was led by quarterback Ethan Garbers, who threw for 1,136 yards and 11 touchdowns, with just three interceptions. The Bruins ranked 53rd in the country in scoring, putting up 26.5 points per game. Their success on third down, where they converted 44.7% of their chances (22nd nationally), was a key factor in sustaining drives.

The Bruins were a run-heavy team last season, ranking 18th in rush yards per game (198.9) and 22nd in rush attempts per game (39.7). Returning running back T.J. Harden, who rushed for 827 yards and eight touchdowns, will be joined by Jalen Berger, a transfer from Michigan State. In the passing game, UCLA averaged 229.2 yards per game, placing them 59th in the country. Their top returning receiver is Logan Loya, who had 655 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season.

UCLA’s defense was strong against the run last season, allowing just 83.8 rushing yards per game, the 8th best mark in the nation. Overall, they gave up 18.4 points per game, which ranked 11th nationally. However, their pass defense was not as effective, allowing 220.8 passing yards per game. Opposing offenses averaged 34.5 pass attempts per game against the Bruins.

Away Injury Report

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Recent Form:

Hawaii is off to a strong start this season, moving to 1-0 after a 35-14 win over Delaware State. This game did not have any betting lines available.

The Rainbow Warriors took control early, jumping out to a 14-0 lead. Delaware State managed to close the gap to 14-7 by halftime, and both teams added a touchdown in the third quarter. With a 21-14 lead heading into the fourth, Hawaii put the game away with 14 unanswered points.

Quarterback Brayden Schager led Hawaii’s offense to a 35-14 win, throwing for 203 yards and two touchdowns while completing 50% of his passes. Pofele Ashlock was his top target, catching five passes for 81 yards.

The Rainbow Warriors’ offense totaled 332 yards, with 129 yards coming on the ground. Landon Sims led the rushing attack with 58 yards on 10 carries. Hawaii found the end zone twice on the ground and twice through the air.

After holding Delaware State to just 104 rushing yards, Hawaii’s defense is looking to build on their strong performance in their next game. The Rainbow Warriors allowed just 156 passing yards on 17 completions, and Delaware State managed just 11 first downs and 260 total yards of offense. Hawaii’s defense also kept the Hornets out of the end zone on the ground, but they did give up two rushing touchdowns.

Home Injury Report

Betting Trends

• UCLA has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 29 points per game while allowing 22. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
• Through their last three home games, Hawaii has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 19 points per game.
• Hawaii has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-2 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five games.
• The last ten games that UCLA was favored, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 7-3 straight up.

Free Pick

Although Hawaii already has a win under their belt this season, I don’t expect any of their success from last week to carry over. Look for UCLA to go into Jonolulu and take care of business in their season opener. For a point-spread pick in this one, I’m taking UCLA as the favorite at -14.

Bet your Week 1 college football predictions for FREE by scoring a massive 100% real cash bonus when you enter bonus promo code PREDICT100 when you make your first deposit at MyBookie Sportsbook!