There’s a standalone bowl game to look forward to on Christmas Eve as the California Golden Bears face the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors in the Hawai’i Bowl.
It’s an intriguing matchup between two of the most entertaining left-handed quarterbacks in the sport, and all eyes will be on the Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele vs. Micah Alejado matchup.
Here are my three favorite California vs. Hawai’i player props and college football picks for Wednesday, December 24.
California vs Hawaii props for the Hawaii Bowl
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Kendrick Raphael |
Over 22.5 receiving yards | -114 |
 Micah Alejado |
Anytime touchdown | +900 |
| Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele |
Anytime touchdown | +320 |
Prop #1: Kendrick Raphael Over 22.5 receiving yards
NC State transfer Kendrick Raphael seized control of the California Golden Bears' backfield as the season went along, leading the way with 853 rushing yards and 12 rushing scores to go along with 231 receiving yards and another score through the air.
He's poised for another big workload in the Hawai'i Bowl, especially if backups LJ Johnson Jr. and Brandon High are out or limited after missing the regular season finale against SMU and being banged up for much of the year. No other back on the roster received 35 carries this year, making Raphael the rare true workhorse in the year 2025.
It’s Raphael’s aerial work that I’m interested in, as his receiving prop is set a tad low at 22.5 yards. Raphael averaged 42 receiving yards across the final four regular-season games, and he should remain a large part of the passing attack with his star freshman quarterback continuing to build momentum after announcing his return to the program in 2026.
There are several pass-catching options with questionable tags, as it's unclear if tight end Mason Mini or receivers Jordan King and Mark Hamper will give it a go. Those three players combined for 105 targets, 857 receiving yards, and six scores, and any absence or limitation would siphon production off to another source, Raphael.
Prop #2: Micah Alejado anytime touchdown
Feel like getting crazy? Why not a +900 anytime touchdown prop on Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors quarterback Micah Alejado?
The diminutive lefty is a threat with his legs, even though his measly 72 rushing yards on the season may not indicate as much. Numbers don’t always tell the full story, as it’s important to keep in mind that he suffered a severe high-ankle sprain early in the season that kept him hampered for much of the year. He toughed it out and played through it, but his mobility wasn’t the same.
Alejado ran 10 times for 54 yards in his coming-out party to conclude the regular season a year ago, and he followed that up with 10 attempts for 36 yards against Stanford in this year’s opener. The 36 yards marked his season-high as he limped around with the ankle injury soon after, but keep in mind that we’ve seen a healthy Alejado move around with both intent and effectiveness.
Cal is a run-funnel defense that shuts down the pass (18th in passing success rate allowed) but is brutal against the run (121st in EPA per rush, 119th in rushing success rate). Hawai’i really wants to throw the ball (fourth in pass rate) despite the matchup, which means that Alejado will have the ball in his hands plenty with an opportunity to take off and scramble.
Cal has surrendered 24 rushing touchdowns to just 10 passing scores. Six of those rushing scores came from opposing quarterbacks. The door is open for Alejado to rush in a score, showing that he’s the healthiest version of himself all year.
Prop #3: Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele anytime touchdown
Let’s keep the theme going of plus-money anytime touchdown bets on left-handed quarterbacks, shall we?
This marks a homecoming for Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, a native of Ewa Beach. That’s only about half an hour from the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, the venue for this event. He’ll look to cap an impressive freshman season with a strong showing in the Hawai’i Bowl, a game that clearly means a lot to him.
Cal fired Justin Wilcox after the regular season and named Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi the next head coach. An ace recruiter, Lupoi has reportedly convinced Sagapolutele not to enter the portal, where he’d be arguably the most sought-after player on the market — the kid is that good.
Similar to Cal, Hawai’i is also a run-funnel defense. The Rainbow Warriors have some very worrisome underlying metrics, checking in at 127th in PFF’s rush defense grade and 125th in tackling. They’ve allowed more rushing scores (16) than passing scores (14) this season, and the defensive line is a pushover unit, ranking 112th in line yards, 104th in stuff rate, and 118th in power success rate.
Sagapolutele isn’t known for his legs, but he’s a willing runner who has found the end zone three times on the ground. Cal’s lack of backfield depth is well documented, and it’s unlikely the staff wants to give Raphael an excessive amount of carries in a bowl game, which could lead to a bump in his quarterback’s rushing usage.
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