Hawaii vs. BYU Odds, Spread, Line: Best Betting Picks & Predictions for 2019 Hawaii Bowl

Hawaii vs. BYU Odds & Picks

• Odds: BYU -2
• Over/Under: 65.5
• Time: Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
• Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

Hawaii will stay on the island to take on BYU in the Hawaii Bowl, which kicks off on Christmas Eve at 8 p.m. ET.

The Rainbow Warriors were one of college football's biggest surprises this season, winning the Mountain West's West Division behind a dynamic passing offense.

BYU has dealt with injuries at seemingly every position but is finally getting healthy. The Cougars faced a brutal schedule early this season and pulled upsets over USC and Tennessee.

Odds updated on Tuesday night and via FanDuel, where Action Network users get a risk-free bet up to $500.

Hawaii Bowl Line Movement

The Hawaii Bowl has been a true tale of "bet the number, not the team."

This game opened at a pick'em and was steadily bet up to BYU -2.5 and even to -3.5. But once it got over a field goal, Hawaii money hit the market and drove it back down to -2.5, and then eventually -1.5.

BYU is getting 66% of the bets as of Monday night.

The over rose from 62 to 64, as well, just a few days after the total opened.

Wilson: What This Game Means to Both Programs

BYU has dealt with injuries up and down the roster throughout a grueling 2019 schedule. The Cougars had four different trips to the Eastern time zone while also facing Washington, Utah, Boise State and USC. The UMass and San Diego State box scores to end the season were filled with names we had not seen, including plenty of freshman gaining experience without burning a redshirt.

The Cougars survived, got bowl eligible and should be at full health for the first time all season, which is crucial for this game.

When head coach Kilani Sitake was asked about defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga and tight end Matt Bushman possibly holding out for the NFL Draft, his response was as confident and serious as the coach could have been. Both Tonga and Bushman will play despite impending NFL Draft decisions.

The rivalry with an old WAC opponent still runs deep. Hawaii has been a BYU pipeline for recruiting over the years, including three players in this upcoming class.

Sitaki, a Hawaii native, has made mention that recruiting is a major factor and motivator for this game.

For Nick Rolovich, the motivation comes not just from recruiting, but history. He himself was part of the last Hawaii squad to beat BYU. Rolovich threw a school record eight touchdown passes in a victory over the Cougars in 2001.

Rolovich knows that to be successful in the Mountain West, beating BYU and keeping players in-state is paramount.

In the advanced stats, it's clear Hawaii should move the chains with an offensive success rate in the top 15. But the Rainbow Warriors have not been an explosive team, which is BYU's defensive strength anyway — limiting opponent's big plays.

The BYU offense is tough to handicap because of the injuries. Four different quarterbacks have seen playing time, but Zach Wilson has returned from injury and played well over the past three games of the season. Wilson went a perfect 18 for 18 with four touchdowns and no interceptions in last year's Potato Bowl victory.

Both the BYU offense and defense are fully healthy for the first time since the season opener, making the advanced stats a bit misleading.

Our Action Network power ratings make this game BYU -5.5. The Cougars took most of November off with games against Idaho State, UMass and then a San Diego State game after accepting the bid to the Hawaii Bowl.

Get out your WAC conference retro t-shirts on Christmas Eve and enjoy some high drama island magic between two heated rivals, but expect the Cougars to prevail now that they're at full strength. This team is battle tested.

Pick: BYU moneyline (-125)