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The Hawai'i Warriors take on the UTEP Miners in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday, November 7. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
Hawaii is favored by -8.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -335. UTEP, meanwhile, enters as a +8.5 underdog and is +265 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 48.5 total points.
Here’s my Hawaii vs. UTEP prediction and college football pick for Saturday, November 7.
Hawaii vs UTEP Prediction
- Hawaii vs. UTEP Pick: Under 49.5 (Play to 48.5)
My UTEP vs. Hawaii best bet is on both teams to go under the total. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Hawaii vs UTEP Odds
| Hawaii Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 48.5 -110o / -110u | -335 |
| UTEP Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 48.5 -110o / -110u | +265 |
- Hawaii vs UTEP point spread: Hawaii -8.5 (-110), UTEP +8.5 (-110)
- Hawaii vs UTEP over/under: 48.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Hawaii vs UTEP moneyline: Hawaii -335, UTEP +265
Hawaii vs UTEP College Football Preview
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Betting Preview: Health Hurting 'Bows
Hawaii's football season never really got off the ground. Leading up to the season opener, star receiver Pofele Ashlock's health was called into question, but news surrounding it was ominous — he hasn't played a snap yet.
Quarterback Micah Alejado has spent two seasons getting beat up behind bad offensive lines. Though not pressured as frequently last year, Alejado took a couple hits that injured him, and he played most of the year banged up.
This year, only one QB has been pressured more times (121), and Alejado again isn't playing at 100% health, a byproduct of his 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame.
As a result, the 'Bows are 98th in Points Per Drive, and the offense failed to produce 17 points in five of its eight games.
The disappointing factor is that the Hawaii defense is finally in gear. It ranks 55th in Points Per Drive and held some notable offenses to few points, like New Mexico and UNLV (21 apiece).
There's a hard cap in place limiting opposing explosive plays in a typical bend-don't-break approach. But that approach isn't quite enough, and opponents have scored touchdowns on 29% of drives (94th in the country).
Ultimately, this team can't compete at the line of scrimmage either way. There's plenty of beef (all five starters are 300-plus pounds) but not a ton of athleticism.
And without a true go-to option, Alejado has been pedestrian with nine touchdowns, six interceptions and a 59.5% completion rate.
The 'Bows can't afford another loss at 2-6. With games against North Dakota State and at Nevada left, there's a strong chance this season is a lost one.
But opportunities do exist with UTEP and Sacramento State, plus Hawaii hosts NDSU for its first trip to the island.
UTEP Miners Betting Preview: Walden on Hot Seat
UTEP's athletic department has been pretty candid that it's not satisfied with the job Scotty Walden has done since joining the program in 2024. Walden has done a lot of good for the school, and he brings a genuine enthusiasm and energy.
But all of that enthusiasm and energy doesn't translate to wins, as UTEP has gone just 6-25 in two-plus years with him. Given athletic director Jim Senter's comments, it's just a matter of time until UTEP is in another coaching search.
Walden's biggest selling point was that he was going to bring a blistering tempo to the Miners offense. While he's made good on that promise, he's also produced the second-, sixth- and ninth-least efficient offenses in his tenure.
UTEP turned the tempo down this season, dropping from ninth in seconds per play (22.4) all the way down to 94th (27.3).
Injuries aside, UTEP has no answer at quarterback, no success on the ground, no offensive line help and no FBS wins.
But perhaps most concerning is the lack of competitiveness in those losses. Even 0-8 Northern Illinois battled with UNLV to a one-score finish; UTEP's closest finish this year was a listless 24-11 home loss to San Jose State.
This is a lame-duck program with no pop anywhere on the roster.
Hawaii vs UTEP Pick, Betting Analysis
Are you a fan of high-level football between two efficient offenses and aggressive defenses? Then this isn't the game for you. Roll up the sleeves; we're deep in the slop here.
The cure for the common offense is a bad defense, and UTEP's 135th-ranked unit could just be that cure. After all, no team in college football has a greater per-drive deficit than UTEP (outscored by 2.84 Points Per Possession).
So, there's a chance Hawaii's offense finds some luck like it did last game against NIU.
But Hawaii plays back-to-back road games with a bye week in between. That's a lot of travel, even for a team used to racking up the miles.
Alejado on the road, aside from that single game in DeKalb, has been really bad throughout his career and, historically, Hawaii isn't very good away from the island (18-42 outright since 2016).
The other half of the equation is that UTEP won't keep up its fair share. Against FBS competition, UTEP averages a paltry 8.9 points per game (worst in the country), and the high-water mark was 17 — it hasn't scored 14 since.
Hawaii's defense is stout enough to keep this unit fully in check.
For this total to go over (in fairly windy and chilly conditions), Hawaii will need to cover most of the number itself. I don't foresee that twice in a row, and UTEP holds onto the ball enough to prevent Hawaii from going completely nuclear.
This is going to be a cold Texas night, with temperatures forecast in the low 50s and wind. Not the environment Hawaii is accustomed to.
Pick: Under 49.5 (Play to 48.5)
