The Rice Owls and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors are ready to square off on the turf at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium. Kickoff for this matchup is set for 12:00 a.m. ET and fans can tune in to the action on SPEC.
Betting Preview: Rice Owls vs. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Rice is a live dog and is currently getting 18 points in this game. The Owls are also receiving +800 moneyline odds while the Rainbow Warriors are -1450. If one team finds paydirt in the early stages, it will likely create a worthwhile betting opportunity in-game.
The opening line was originally set at -17 but early action has slanted in favor of the Rainbow Warriors,
The Owls have gained 0.0 units so far and are 1-1 against the spread (ATS). The team has posted an O/U record of 2-0.
The surprising Rainbow Warriors have gained 12.1 units this season. They’re 2-0 ATS and also have an O/U record of 2-0.
The Owls have gone 1-1 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Rainbow Warriors are 2-0 SU.
The Owls are looking to bounce back after a 45-27 defeat to Houston last week. the Owls completed 24-of-41 passes for 292 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Shawn Stankavage went 20-for-31 for 204 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while Jackson Tyner completed four-of-eight for 88 yards. Austin Walter (just 55 rushing yards on 19 attempts) and Emmanuel Esukpa (81 yards on 17 carries) mounted the running attack while Trammell (seven receptions, 62 yards) and Aaron Cephus (five catches, 95 yards) shared the receiving duties in the defeat.
Hawaii is coming off of a 59-41 win over Navy. The team’s defense let the Midshipmen rush for 326 yards on 49 attempts, including five rush TDs. Malcolm Perry was a bright spot in the loss for Navy, posting 108 rushing yards and a score on 17 attempts. For Hawaii, Cole McDonald completed 30-of-41 passes for 428 yards and six touchdowns. Fred Holly III (82 yards on 17 rush attempts, one TD) led the running game while Cedric Byrd (11 receptions, 90 yards, two TDs) and John Ursua (10 catches, 167 yards, two TDs) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Rice has run the ball on 58.9 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Hawaii has an overall rush percentage of 44.8 percent. The Owls have rushed for 228.5 yards per game and have three scores on the ground this year. The Rainbow Warriors are averaging 142.5 rush yards per game and have three total rushing TDs.
The Owls offense has logged 189.5 yards per contest in the air overall and has three passing TDs so far. The Rainbow Warriors have produced an astonishing 427 pass yards per contest and have nine total pass scores.
Rice seems to have an edge in both areas of the defense. The team’s allowed opponents to rush for an average of 198.5 yards and pass for 282 yards per game. The Hawaii D has given up 311 yards per game to opposing passers and 221.0 yards per game on the ground. The Rainbow Warriors are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of 10.07 to opposing QBs, while the Owls have allowed a whopping 11.61 ANY/A.
Offensively, Stankavage has put up 204 passing yards this year. He’s connected on 65 percent of his 31 attempts with three passing scores and one interception. Stankavage has a 6.12 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 5.12 over the last two outings.
Cole McDonald has managed to complete 30-of-41 passes for 428 yards, six TDs and zero INTs for Hawaii. His ANY/A stands at 11.73 for the year and 12.09 over his last two outings.
Rice Owls at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Bedding Prediction
SU Winner: Hawaii, ATS Winner: Hawaii
Betting Trends
- Each team defense has produced three sacks this year.
- The Hawaii offense has lost two fumbles this season while Rice has yet to lose any,
- The Owls offense has created zero pass plays of 40 yards or more, while the Rainbow Warriors have put up four such plays.
- The Rice defense has allowed four pass plays of 40 yards or more, while Hawaii has given up two such plays.
- The Rice offense has created eight rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while Hawaii has created three such runs.
- The Owls defense has allowed five rushing plays of 20+ yards, while the Rainbow Warriors have given up four such runs.
