Hawaii vs. Vanderbilt Predictions, Picks & Odds Week 0: Will Rainbow Warriors Get Revenge?

The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and Vanderbilt Commodores meet in Week 0 for the second consecutive season. Read on for our Hawaii vs. Vanderbilt picks based on the best college football odds.

Of the 11 Week 0 college football games last season, none had a bigger margin of victory than Vanderbilt’s 63-10 triumph over Hawaii. Vanderbilt finished 5-7 (2-6 SEC) last year, its best overall and conference record since going 6-7 (3-5 SEC) in 2018. The Commodores are looking for their fourth .500 or better record this century.

Hawaii finished 3-10 (2-6 Mountain West) last season, its worst overall record since 2015. Head coach Timmy Chang returns for his second season and has an uphill battle, as the Rainbow Warriors are tied with New Mexico for the worst odds to win the Mountain West (+12000 odds via FanDuel).                  

Here is our best Hawai’i vs. Vanderbilt prediction and college football picks (odds via our best college football betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Hawaii vs. Vanderbilt prediction: Week 0

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Considering Vanderbilt was 53 points better than Hawaii last year, taking the +17.5 points with the underdog seems risky.

However, we expect much better production from Rainbow Warriors quarterback Brayden Schager, who led an offense that finished 120th in passing success rate last year. Schager averaged 195 yards per game last season, but looks to carry the momentum of five straight 200-plus yard games to finish the season into this year.

While Vanderbilt was impressive in upsets of Kentucky and Florida last season, two of the players most responsible for those upsets, running back Ray Davis and quarterback Mike Wright, have transferred. The Commodores offense is expected to be well ahead of the defense this season, as the offense is projected 53rd and the defense 99th, per SP+. 

However, the strength of the Hawaii defense is its secondary, led by Wyoming transfer Cam Stone. Stone was named preseason First-Team All-Mountain West, while PFF also named fellow cornerback Virdel Edwards II to its All-Conference Second Team. The duo and ball-hawking safety Peter Manuma should help negate the Commodores passing attack that returns its top four wideouts from last season.

This is a three-star play, as Vanderbilt went 1-5 ATS at home last season and has covered just one of six games as a home favorite since 2019.

Hawaii vs. Vanderbilt best odds

This is a rare occurrence in college football betting lines, as most of our best sports betting apps have the exact same number and charge the same juice for this point spread. 

However, DraftKings gets the nod as our go-to sportsbook, the only shop charging less than the standard juice to back the underdogs. 

Hawaii vs. Vanderbilt odds

BetMGM and FanDuel opened with Vanderbilt -17 but moved off the key number, as 60% of the consensus wagers have backed the favorites. 

BetRivers was the only major sportsbook to touch a high of +18.5, but not only has it aligned with the other shops at +17.5, it also charges the most juice (-113). 

The total is 55.5 points across all of our best sportsbooks, and has not moved from its opening number, even though wagers are 2/1 in favor of the Over.

Hawaii vs. Vanderbilt game info

• When: Saturday, August 26, 2023, 7 p.m. ET
• Where: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
• How to watch: SECN, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Weather: 96 degrees, 24% chance of precipitation, 8 mph NW winds

Hawaii-Vanderbilt pick made on 08/24/2023 at 7:03 a.m.

College football betting odds pages

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