The Stanford Cardinal take on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in Honolulu, Hawaii in college football Week 0 on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Hawaii is favored by -2.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -135. The Cardinal, meanwhile, come in at +110 to pull off the upset. The total is set at 50.5 points.
Here's my Stanford vs. Hawaii prediction and college football picks for Saturday, August 23.
Stanford vs Hawaii Prediction
- Stanford vs. Hawaii Pick: Hawaii 1H ML -130
My Hawaii vs. Stanford best bet is on the Rainbow Warriors to be winning at halftime. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Stanford vs Hawaii Odds
| Stanford Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -112 | 50.5 -112o / -108u | +110 |
| Hawaii Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -108 | 50.5 -112o / -108u | -130 |
- Stanford vs Hawaii Point Spread: Hawaii -2.5 (-108), Stanford +2.5 (-112)
- Stanford vs Hawaii Over/Under: 50.5 (-112o / -108u)
- Stanford vs Hawaii Moneyline: Stanford +110, Hawaii -130
Stanford vs Hawaii Preview
Stanford Cardinal Betting Preview: Plenty of Changes
Stanford football started the calendar year with a swerve at the coaching level, as head coach Troy Taylor was fired by new general manager Andrew Luck. The former Cardinal quarterback turned to his NFL coach from his final season of his professional career, drawing Frank Reich to run the team for a single season.
The rebuild is gargantuan, bigger than any Year 0 a team could possibly experience after finishing near dead last in every advanced statistical category in 2024.
A number of freshman quarterbacks were beat out by Ben Gulbranson, a fifth-year senior with 360 career passing attempts at Oregon State. The 2022 season was by far the best of his collegiate career, throwing for 1,440 yards and nine touchdowns.
Gulbranson has posted more turnover-worthy plays than big-time throws, but the expectation is that Stanford will move away from Taylor's system to a more pro-style offense under Reich.
Sophomore Micah Ford won the starting running back duties in camp but had a lackluster 2024 with just 2.7 yards after first contact while forcing just 10 missed tackles on 76 attempts.
Freshman center Ziron Brown had one start a season ago but will now be in charge of creating holes for the new rush-heavy offense.
New defensive coordinator Andy Thompson previously held the same position at Sacramento State. The coach preaches high energy and scheme responsibility for a defense that returns six of its top eight tacklers from a year ago.
Experience may be on the side of the Cardinal defense, but plenty of details must improve from a season ago. The Stanford defense finished bottom-10 nationally in both Quality Drives allowed and Finishing Drives allowed.
The run defense inched inside the top half of FBS rankings in Defensive Line Yards and Stuff Rate but failed to finish in the top 100 in terms of creating a contested catch.
Senior cornerback Collin Wright will be a factor in defending Hawaii's wide receivers after generating five pass breakups and three interceptions in 2024.
Hawaii Warriors Betting Preview: Time for Alejado
Quarterback Brayden Schager — the Schager Bomb — is no more in the world of head coach Timmy Chang's run-and-shoot offense.
New quarterback Micah Alejado burst onto the scene for Hawaii in his first career start against New Mexico in the final week of last season. Then a freshman, Alejado did not disappoint with a five-touchdown performance that included 469 yards passing on 37-of-57 passing.
The southpaw has no hesitation in finding deep targets for the Rainbow Warriors.
The depth chart is full of receivers that can break free, from junior slot Pofele Ashlock's 104 targets to Nick Cenacle's half-dozen touchdowns out of the other slot position.
Alejado has had chemistry all camp with Brandon White, a Kentucky transfer who was clocked at 4.4 seconds in his 40-time.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman may have the best front returning of all Mountain West teams. The Warriors finished top-30 in Defensive Line Yards, dominating the line of scrimmage against teams using man and gap blocking schemes.
The top five tacklers return to the defense, including linebackers Jamih Otis and Logan Taylor. Jackie Johnson III will continue to come off the edge, bringing back a team-leading 26 pressures from a season ago.
Stanford vs Hawaii Pick, Betting Analysis
Plenty of respect has hit the market over the summer in favor of the home team. Hawaii has steamed from a 2.5-point 'dog to a 2.5-point favorite.
Chang will have the more experienced team from an offensive continuity and rush defense perspective, but Stanford's new offense may call for a sluggish start.
None of the running backs expected to get touches for Stanford have experience in creating highlight yards, an issue against a pair of Hawaii linebackers that could challenge for All-Mountain West honors.
The opposite could be said about the middle of the Stanford defense, as it could be one of the worst units in the ACC.
Chang has been much better on the island, winning only two games on the road during his tenure at Hawaii.
Look for Alejado to fit like a glove in the run-and-shoot offense, hitting a number of wide receivers who have the ability to take the ball to the house.
Stanford isn't expected to create pressure from the edge or from the interior, but the coaching staff should be excellent in making adjustments on both sides of the ball.
The expectation of Reich's short tenure has been more about keeping the wheels from falling off the program, installing fundamentals in tackling and assignments in the wake of a fired head coach.
Look for Hawaii to take advantage of a Stanford roster and coaching staff that will be looking for answers after the first half-dozen possessions in the game.
With Reich's ability to create halftime adjustments from multiple years as a head coach in the NFL, take Hawaii in the first half as Alejado gets familiar with old faces and a new portal addition from Kentucky at the wide receiver position.
Pick: Hawaii 1H ML -130
