CFB Bets: Look for Hawaii to continue Aggie annihilation

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CFB Bets: Look for Hawaii to continue Aggie annihilation

By Tony Capobianco
September 23, 2022

For a game that has been historically on-sided, it’s quite a surprise to see the team doing the dominating entering as a 5-point underdog.

That’s where DraftKings has Hawaii going into its road matchup with New Mexico State on Saturday, despite never losing to them. The Rainbow Warriors lead the all-time series with their former Western Athletic Conference rival, 10-0.

The Rainbow Warriors haven’t just won all four meetings against the Aggies on the road, but it style. Hawaii has averaged 44.2 points per game in the series, including twice last season during a rare home-and-home series.

Hawaii is probably an underdog because it took beating Duquesne, an FCS team in Pittsburgh, last week for head coach Timmy Chang to get his first win. That being said, New Mexico State is 0-4 and have only been to one bowl game since 1960.

Pick: This is both the parlay of the week. Not only should you pick Hawaii to win but also to parley it with the total score going over 53.5 points. The single-game parley nets +415 odds.

No. 7 USC (-5.5) at Oregon State

If you were ever concerned about a potential upset, consider the common opponent between No. 7 USC and Oregon State. USC crushed Fresno State 45-17 last week while OSU won by a mere field goal the week before. USC made waves with the addition of Lincoln Riley at head coach and Caleb Williams at quarterback and look like they live up to the hype.

Pick: This may be the last time USC is favored by less than a touchdown so get in while you can (-110).

Outside Market Pick of the Week: Duke at Kansas (-7)

If I told you Duke was coming to Kansas and both teams would be undefeated, you would have checked your calendar and thought it was December. As it turns out, both basketball powerhouses have competitive football teams to boot.

While the Blue Devils (3-0) have Northwestern as their signature win, the Jayhawks have won all three games in offensive shootouts and took out West Virginia in overtime. The Kansas offense is averaging 51 points per game, which is the eighth highest in FBS.

Pick: In the battle of the unbeaten upstarts, go with the home team with fireworks (-110).

UCLA (-21) at Colorado

UCLA played host to Bowling Green, Alabama State and South Alabama and then wonders why nobody shows up to the Rose Bowl. Despite the Bruins’ road to 3-0, their next test might actually be easier.

An argument could be made that Colorado (0-3) is the worst Power 5 team in the country. So far the Buffalos have gotten trounced by TCU (38-13), annihilated by Air Force (41-10) and mauled by Minnesota (49-7).

Pick: Normally I stray away from high point spreads but it’s also the only time a team like Colorado could lose by 22 points and see it as an improvement (-110).

San Diego State (+3) vs. Toledo

San Diego State was a juggernaut last year, dominating Arizona and beating Utah in overtime. This time around, the Pac-12 got their revenge and the (1-2) Aztecs look like a shell of themselves searching for their first FBS win of the season.

In comes Toledo, who have buffed up its record with blowout wins over Long Island and UMass, outscoring both teams by a combined 92-10. If nothing else, the Rockets have shown they could score, putting up 21 points on No. 3 Ohio State during a 77-21 beatdown last week. Group of Five teams not known for defense rarely stop each other from scoring.

Pick: Three points doesn’t seem like a safe bet for either side, but you can expect offense and for both teams to clear the low bar that is 45 points (-110).

UNLV (-3) at Utah State

UNLV is not only winning but in a fun way, a total about-face from their previous two decades. In their first two home games of the season, the Rebels outscored opponents 110-48. It’s one thing to do it against an FCS team in Idaho State but another when done to North Texas coming off a close 6-point loss at California the week before.

Aidan Robbins was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week for rushing for rushing for a career-high 227 yards – the second-most in the FBS this season – and three touchdowns. Robbins and his six touchdowns has given the Rebel offense an identity, something sorely needed for a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2013.

Utah State (1-2) is coming off a 37-7 beatdown by Weber State of the FCS. These Aggies are nothing like the team that won the MWC Championship Game last year and beat Oregon State in the first ever Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl.

Pick: Three points seems like more than a reasonable reason to go with UNLV -3 (-110).