Hawai'i vs Arkansas Prediction, Picks & Odds for Thursday's March Madness Game

Rohit Ponnaiya - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Rohit Ponnaiya • Betting Analyst 8+ years betting experience
Updated: Mar 18, 2026 , 05:54 PM ET • 4 min read

Ponnaiya's prediction: The Arkansas Razorbacks’ high-powered offense should keep rolling against Hawai‘i in the first round of March Madness.

NCAAB

Match starts: 21 hrs
HAW
56 %
ARK
44 %
EXPERT PICK - TOTAL
Arkansas o87.5 (-115)
Read Analysis
Arkansas Razorbacks college basketball Darius Acuff Jr.
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. drives to the basket.

The No. 4 seed Arkansas Razorbacks face the 13th-seeded Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

Boasting one of the most prolific offenses in the nation, my Hawai'i vs. Arkansas predictions expect the Razorbacks to put up plenty of points against the Rainbow Warriors. 

Here are my best free March Madness picks for this West Region clash on March 19. 

Hawai'i vs Arkansas prediction

Who will win Hawai'i vs Arkansas?

Arkansas: John Calipari's squad is too talented to lose here.

The Rainbow Warriors are 22-8 but haven’t faced a single Quad 1 opponent. Meanwhile, the Razorbacks don’t have a single loss outside of Quad 1 games.

Hawai'i vs Arkansas best bet: Arkansas team total Over 87.5 (-115)

The Arkansas Razorbacks average a whopping 89.9 points per game thanks to a highly efficient offense and blistering pace.

With superstar freshman Darius Acuff Jr. running the point, Arkansas turns the ball over at the lowest rate in the country while ranking eighth in 3PT% (38.9%).

Although the Hawai‘i Razborbacks powered their way to the Big West title behind strong defensive play, Arkansas won’t be fazed.

The Rainbow Warriors lack the athleticism to keep up, and the Razborbacks' uptempo style will lead to plenty of possessions in this matchup.

Covers COVERS INTEL: The Warriors are 11th in the country in defensive possession length (16.5 seconds), while Arkansas ranks 18th in offensive possession length (15.8 seconds).

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Hawai'i vs Arkansas same-game parlay

Acuff averages 6.5 assists per game and is coming off an 11-assist performance against Vanderbilt.

The up-tempo pace will also create more rebounding opportunities, and Malique Ewin has pulled down 7+ boards in six of his last nine games. Ewin could see extra minutes as Calipari looks to match up with Hawai‘i’s frontcourt size.

Hawai'i vs Arkansas SGP

  • Arkansas team total Over 87.5
  • Darius Acuff Jr. Over 6.5 assists
  • Malique Ewin Over 6.5 rebounds

Our Big Dance SGP: Arkansas Onslaught

Trevon Brazile has dropped 16+ points in four of his last five games, and the senior forward was also highly productive in Arkansas's March Madness run last year.

Meanwhile, former five-star guard D.J. Wagner has scored more than 7+ points in seven of his last nine games and has seen his playing time increase with Karter Knox injured. 

Hawai'i vs Arkansas SGP

  • Arkansas team total Over 87.5
  • Trevon Brazile Over 13.5 points
  • DJ Wagner Over 5.5 points
  • Darius Acuff Jr. Over 6.5 assists
  • Malique Ewin Over 6.5 rebounds
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Hawai'i vs Arkansas odds

  • Spread: Hawai'i +15.5 (-110) | Arkansas -15.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Hawai'i +750 | Arkansas -1600
  • Over/Under: Over 160 (-110) | Under 160 (-110)

Hawai'i vs Arkansas betting trend to know

The Razorbacks have cashed the team total Over in 18 of their last 25 games (+9.85 Units / 34% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Hawai'i vs. Arkansas.

How to watch Hawai'i vs Arkansas

Location Moda Center, Portland, OR
Date Thursday, March 19, 2026
Tip-off 4:25 p.m. ET
TV TBS

Hawai'i vs Arkansas key injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Rohit Ponnaiya
Betting Analyst

With a background playing soccer, rugby, and boxing, combined with a journalism degree, it's little surprise that Rohit gravitated towards the world of sports betting. He specializes in betting on UFC and college basketball, two sports where the eyeball test can tell you a lot more about matchups than analytics. Rohit has years of experience handicapping NFL and NBA games as well as niche betting markets such as politics. He's also the resident CFL expert and formerly hosted "The Chez and Ro Show" with former CFL star Davis Sanchez.

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