As Christmas Eve arrives, the NBA and NHL takes the night off, shining the spotlight on college football as the California Bears (7-5) and the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors (8-4) square off in the 2025 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Here is tonight’s best bet brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Click here to join. All new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.
THE PICK: Hawai'i -1.5
The Bears and Rainbow Warriors are set to kick off at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu, Hawai'i in a matchup between two teams looking to finish the year in the win column.
Hawai'i comes into this matchup with the edge in offensive and defensive numbers, scoring 3.7 more points than Cal while allowing 3.0 less points than the Bears. The Rainbow Warriors also holds the advantage in pass yards per game, rush yards per game and 3rd down conversion rate. The statistical edge has translated to the betting window, as Hawai'i holds an 8-4 record against the spread while Cal has covered in just five of 12 games.
Hawai'i quarterback Micah Alejado has led the offense in his freshman season, tossing 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 starts this season. Alejado's has built a connection with sophomore wide receiver Jackson Harris, whose 12 touchdowns leads the team. Harris brought in his longest reception of the season in Hawai'i's 27-7 win over Wyoming on Nov. 29, hauling in a 78-yard touchdown catch from the freshman quarterback.
Meanwhile, Cal features a freshman at the helm as well. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has started all 12 games at quarterback, tossing 3,117 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Bears. His best game came in Cal's last contest, completing 77.5% of his passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-35 win over SMU.
Expect Hawai'i to outplay Cal on both sides of the ball and cover the spread.