Hawaii Bowl Prediction & Odds
Unranked Middle Tennessee and unranked San Diego State both travel to Honolulu, Hawai’i to face each other in the EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl at 8:00 PM ET on Christmas Eve.
Can the Aztecs cover the spread as 6.5-point neutral site favorites?
Middle Tennessee is 7-5 on the year, with their best wins coming against Colorado State and Miami FL. Their worst losses came against James Madison and Louisiana Tech. The Blue Raiders are 5-6-1 ATS on the year.
San Diego State is 7-5 on the year with their best wins coming against Toledo and San Jose State. Their worst losses came against Arizona and Air Force. The Aztecs are 5-7 ATS on the year.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
233 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (+6.5) vs. 234 San Diego State Aztecs (-6.5); O/U 47.5
8:00 PM ET Saturday, December 24th, 2022
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, HI
Middle Tennessee vs. San Diego State Public Betting Information
The public favors the Aztecs in this game. Our CFB Public Betting Page shows that 53% of public bets are on San Diego State -6.5. Do note that those numbers are subject to change and could be different once game time rolls around.
Middle Tennessee Game Notes
The Blue Raiders’ best offensive player is quarterback Chase Cunningham. The fifth-year senior has thrown for 2,920 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions on the season. He’s also run for 6 touchdowns on the campaign.
Cunningham’s favorite target is sophomore wide receiver Jaylin Lane. Lane has hauled in 59 passes for 829 yards and 4 touchdowns this season. He leads Middle Tennessee in catches, receiving yards, and he’s tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns. The connection between Chase Cunningham and Jaylin Lane could prove pivotal for Middle Tennessee’s chances to cover in this contest.
San Diego State Game Notes
Aztecs quarterback Jalen Mayden took over as the starter on October 8th against Hawai’i, and he threw for 322 yards and a touchdown in that game. Mayden has been the undisputed starter ever since. The converted safety has thrown for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions in 7 games of action this season. He’s also added 205 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground this season. He may be forced to throw if Middle Tennessee puts up some points early.
San Diego State uses a three-back rotation made up of running backs Jordan Byrd, Jaylon Armstead, and Kenan Christon. Armstead is the most dynamic of the three as he’s averaging 6.0 yards per and has a long run of 61 yards this year. Jaylon Armstead has scored rushing touchdowns in each of the Aztecs’ last two games and he has a good shot at making it three in a row against the Blue Raiders on Saturday.
Middle Tennessee vs. San Diego State Betting Trends
Middle Tennessee is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
Middle Tennessee is 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games following an ATS loss.
San Diego State is 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 games on field turf.
San Diego State is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing over 200 rushing yards in their previous game.
Middle Tennessee vs. San Diego State Betting Prediction
This game is going to be played in Hawai’i on Christmas Eve. The weather forecast for Honolulu is 81 degrees and sunny. This should help Middle Tennessee’s high-powered offense. The Blue Raiders closed their season on a three-game winning streak to secure bowl eligibility and they averaged 35.3 points per game in that span. The surest path to victory for San Diego State is to ugly up the game and turn it into a low-scoring affair. They haven’t been always able to do that this year. The Aztecs gave up 32 points or more to Arizona, Utah, Boise State, and Fresno State. They lost all four of those contests. I think Middle Tennessee airs it out and outscores San Diego State in this Christmas Eve contest. I’ll take Middle Tennessee and the points.
EASYPOST HAWAI’I BOWL PREDICTION: MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS +6.5
