Hawaii vs Arizona Prediction, Picks & Odds for August 30 — College Football Week 1

Yonke's prediction: Rainbow Warriors show plenty of fight.

JD Yonke - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
JD Yonke • Betting Analyst
Aug 29, 2025 • 10:44 ET • 4 min read

NCAAF

Match starts: 33 hrs
ARIZ
60 %
HAW
40 %
Read Analysis
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors quarterback Micah Alejado (12) makes a pass.
Photo By - Imagn Images. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors quarterback Micah Alejado (12) makes a pass.

The Arizona Wildcats host the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in an exciting Week 1 clash to cap off an action-packed Saturday of games.

There’s been a lot of speculation in the market about the health of Hawaii starting quarterback Micah Alejado, pushing the spread up to 17.5 points.

See why I’m buying back on the underdog with my Hawaii vs. Arizona predictions and college football picks for Saturday, August 30.

Hawaii vs Arizona prediction

Hawaii vs Arizona best bet: Hawai'i +17.5 (-108)

There’s been a reaction in the market to the injured ankle of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors quarterback Micah Alejado, pushing the line from +13.5 a week ago to +17.5 as of the time of this writing. All the latest reports indicate that Alejado will give it a go on Saturday, so I’m snapping up the inflated number. 

You can nitpick Timmy Chang’s squad’s 23-20 win over Stanford in Week 0 if you want, but they won the yards per play battle 4.8 to 3.9 despite having a hobbled signal caller. They just beat a bad ACC team and are now three-score dogs against a bad Big 12 team. 

The Arizona Wildcats fell to 4-8 in the first year of the Brent Brennan era, and his seat will start to heat up fast if there’s no improvement. There are two new coordinators (Seth Doege on offense, Danny Gonzales on defense), but the team overall was down in the dumps last year, getting outgained by 0.8 yards per play. 

Arizona ranked 93rd in EPA per play offensively and now loses star Tetairoa McMillan, while the defense ranked 109th and still has a lot to prove. 

Hawaii vs Arizona same-game parlay

Hawaii’s Run-n-Shoot offense didn’t click on all cylinders in Week 0, but let’s not forget that Alejado’s pinpoint accuracy, combined with a star-studded receiving group, creates a recipe that should result in plenty of points this season. 

With a week of experience under their belt, the Rainbow Warriors should look more cohesive in their second game, which will benefit a green Alejado in particular. Arizona’s offense may take a half to click, but the Wildcats want to play with tempo under Doege and should find a groove by the third quarter. 

Our deep-ball SGP: Fireworks late

  • Although I’m still bullish on Alejado overall, it’s unlikely that he’s 100% for this contest.
  • With Sam Houston State and Portland State next on the schedule, there’s no reason to push him to his limits in the fourth quarter of this contest. 

Hawaii vs Arizona odds

  • Spread: Hawaii +13.5 | Arizona -13.5
  • Moneyline: Hawaii +550 | Arizona -800
  • Over/Under: Over 52.5 | Under 52.5

Hawaii vs Arizona trend to know

Arizona was 1-5 ATS as a favorite last season. Find more college football betting trends for Hawaii vs Arizona.

How to watch Hawaii vs Arizona

Location Stadium, City, State
Date Saturday, August 30, 2025
Kickoff 10:30 p.m. ET
TV TNT, HBO Max

Hawaii vs Arizona latest injuries

Hawaii vs Arizona weather

Monitor gametime conditions with our College football weather info.

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

JD is a diehard college football fan with five years of experience writing betting and fantasy content for publications such as SportsGrid, Fantasy Points, Fantrax, and Devy Watch. An avid reader, he uses his inclination to look at things with an exhausting and in-depth, analytic viewpoint combined with a love for statistics and metrics to form a well-rounded handicapping approach.

e's an integral member of the niche (but growing!) college fantasy football community, twice traveling to Canton, OH for the Fantasy Football Expo as a member of the CFF King's Classic drafting squad. His specialization in college football DFS and prop betting taught him that there are exploitable markets to be found and that narrowing your focus is integral to being a profitable bettor.

A lifelong Californian who grew up playing baseball, basketball, football, and lacrosse, he's glad to share a passionate love for sports with this wonderful community.

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