- Bowl: EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl
- Who: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs San Jose State Spartans
- When: Saturday, December 23rd, 10:30 ET
- Where: Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, HI
The Hawai'i Bowl brings college football bowl action back to the Aloha State, where Coastal Carolina is set to take on San Jose State at Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu on December 23 (10:30 p.m. ET).
Having been a staple in the Honolulu area since 2002, the Hawai'i Bowl traditionally features a team from the Mountain West Conference against another from the Group of Five.
There will be no shortage ofĀ Online college football bettingĀ as the college football season enters its crucial stage, and every game becomes a high-stakes chess match.
Game Preview (Spread)
San Jose State has garnered substantial support in the betting arena, shifting from 7.5- to 9.5-point favorites (-110) since the opening lines on Monday.
Coastal Carolina is gearing up for its fourth consecutive college bowl appearance, marking the first under the leadership of head coach Tim Beck.
Welcoming one of the winningest FBS programs in recent years to #BowlSeason š¤
With 38 wins since 2020, @CoastalFootball is tied for the most wins of any G5 program in that stretch! pic.twitter.com/ern7RQ44ST
ā EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl (@HawaiiBowl) November 30, 2023
With a regular-season record of 7-5 (5-3 Sun Belt Conference), the Chanticleers concluded the season with consecutive losses to Army and James Madison.
Following an injury to four-year starting quarterback Grayson McCall midseason, backups Jarrett Guest and Ethan Vasko shared quarterback duties, with Guest completing 72.1% of his passes and Vasko at 62.9%.
Ranked 39th in total offense, Coastal Carolina averages 422.9 yards per game. However, the absence of McCall's consistent big-play capabilities hindered their return to the Sun Belt Conference Championship game.
Despite this, Coastal Carolina remained lucrative for bettors, posting an 8-4 record against the spread, including a 5-2 mark as an underdog.
They covered the spread successfully for five consecutive weeks, coinciding with a 5-0 straight-up record, before a 28-21 loss to Army on November 18.
With Grayson McCall (1,919 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT) announcing his transfer plans, Coastal Carolina faces a significant change at quarterback.
The likely replacement is freshman Ethan Vasko, who showed promise with 254 yards and a touchdown against James Madison. However, McCall's departure is undoubtedly a notable setback.
Fortunately, the Chanticleers still boast a dynamic playmaker in senior receiver Sam Pickney.
Holding an FBS-record of catching a pass in 57 consecutive games, Pickney ranks 37th in the nation for receiving yards (907).
Conversely, San Jose State bounced back impressively with six straight victories after a 1-5 start, securing a share of the Mountain West Conference regular-season title.
Despite their turnaround, they were edged out by UNLV for the conference title game slot based on a computer ranking system.
Heading into the bowl game with a 7-5 record, including 6-2 in conference play, SJSU is making back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time since 1986-87.
In the previous season, they posted a 7-5 record and faced a 41-27 loss to Eastern Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
San Jose State's offensive prowess has been a key factor, averaging an impressive 46.4 points during their winning streak and outscoring opponents by an average of 22.5 points.
Similar to Coastal Carolina, the Spartans have been a favorable team for bettors with an 8-3-1 ATS record, including a 5-1 mark as favorites, ranking them tied for the fourth-highest cover rate in FBS at 72.7%.
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Total Points
The anticipated total score has maintained relative stability at 54, only a slight dip from the initial 54.5.
On the downside, the Chanticleers struggled with the Over/Under, going under the projected total in eight of their 12 gamesāa rate tied for the fifth-highest in FBS at 66.7%.
This aspect is crucial to consider when evaluating the betting odds for the Hawaii Bowl in 2023.The Spartans have also hit the Over in eight of their 12 games, showcasing a potent offensive performance.
Senior quarterback Chevan Cordeiro has played a pivotal role in SJSU's success, throwing for 13 touchdowns with just one interception during their winning streak.
Headed to Paradise š“#ClimbTheMountain | #AllSpartans pic.twitter.com/uXWaO3N1FD
ā San JosĆ© State Football (@SanJoseStateFB) November 30, 2023
The Spartans rank 49th nationally in yards per game (406) and 30th in scoring (33.3 PPG), factors to consider when analyzing the Hawaii Bowl betting odds in 2023.
After securing just three victories in his initial two seasons at SJSU, Brent Brennan has remarkably led the Spartans to seven wins in three of the last five seasons as head coach.
His commendable efforts this year are evident in keeping the Spartans competitive, especially following a challenging 1-5 start.
Despite the early setbacks, there's still much at stake for SJSU, particularly after being bypassed for the Mountain West Championship game, where a head-to-head victory against UNLV wasn't enough due to a computer algorithm decision.
SJSU boasts a dynamic offensive arsenal. Alongside quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, the Spartans field a pair of explosive running backs in Kairee Robinson (1,127 yards, 18 TD) and Quali Conley (809 yards, 8 TD).
As a collective unit, they impressively rank 27th in the nation in rushing, averaging 186.2 yards per game.
This offensive prowess could pose challenges for Coastal Carolina, necessitating a high-scoring performance to keep pace, especially with the absence of Grayson McCall.
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