Portland State vs Hawaii Picks and Predictions: Can Portland State Hold Weight?

Hawaii was humbled by UCLA in its opening game, but gets a home matchup vs an FCS foe to bounce back. Find out if the Rainbow Warriors are up to the task as we break down our Portland State vs Hawaii picks.

Sep 4, 2021 • 10:06 ET • 4 min read
Chevan Cordeiro Hawaii Rainbow Warriors college football
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

Hawaii returns home after a humbling 44-10 loss at the hands of UCLA, which was more or less over by halftime. Instead of a home crowd awaiting them, they’ll slug it out in an empty temporary stadium, and try to get their season back on track.

Will the Rainbow Warriors be able to take care of business during a winnable game against Portland State? Read on with our college football betting free picks and predictions for Portland State vs. Hawaii on Saturday, September 4 to find out.

Portland State vs Hawaii game info

Location: Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Honolulu, HI
Date: Saturday, September 4, 2021
Time: 11:59 p.m. ET
TV: Spectrum OC16, Team1 Sports

Portland State vs Hawaii odds

Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.

Compare college football odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Check out the full line movement for this game.

Best sign-up bonuses

If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for college football Week 1, here are two of the best welcome bonuses available: 

USA: Risk-free bet up to $5,000 at Caesars. Claim Now

Canada: 100% matched free bet up to $400 at BetVictor. Claim Now

Portland State vs Hawaii betting preview

Weather

Weather in Honolulu Saturday is calling for sunny skies with partial clouds and temperatures in the mid-80s. Wind will be gusting around 12 mph, with a roughly 40 percent chance of rain.

Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.

Key injuries

Portland State: None
Hawaii: Calvin Turner RB (probable), Jeremiah Pritchard LB (out)
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The total has gone under in each of Hawaii’s last 5 games. Find more NCAA betting trends for Portland State vs. Hawai'i.

Against the spread (ATS) pick

Hawaii will be anxious to get back in the win column here in what should be a winnable game against an FCS foe.  

The Portland State Vikings cannot be taken too lightly, as they have a quarterback in Davis Alexander who threw for over 3,400 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2019. They were last seen playing against FBS competition in 2019 to mixed results. They were blown out by Nevada, Oregon, and Boise State by a combined score of 179 to 43, but did keep their game against Arkansas close in a 20-13 loss.

The Vikings only played one game in 2021, and they were thrashed 48-7 by Montana. 

It’ll be important for Hawaii to jump on Portland State from the start to get their confidence back and find a groove. While they were shut down offensively by UCLA in Week 0, they showed last year that they are decent enough offensively (26.2 points per game, 5.4 yards per play) to score on a team like the Vikings. If a team like Montana can hang 48 on them, Hawaii should find the end zone. 

The offense is certainly headed to a concerning territory and is something to monitor, but this is the perfect matchup for them to get back on track. Their power run game should be much more effective here, and quarterback Chevan Cordeiro should have much more time to move around, utilize his speed, and find his receivers.

The Rainbow Warriors should be able to build a lead and maintain it through their defense to find the cover. We’re laying the points with Hawaii in a bounce-back spot.

PREDICTION: Hawaii -24.5 (-110)

Over/Under pick

The Rainbow Warrior defense was solid last year, allowing only 27.2 points per game. They’re building a new identity under Todd Graham in which they’re looking to grow defensively while fostering a run game. If that sounds much different than the Nick Rolovich days, that’s because it is. Look for them to use this as a chance to build some confidence back in the power run game and the defense.

Hawaii’s last game against UCLA was listed with a 69.5 point total to begin the game week, and it went comfortably Under with only 54 points scored. Public perception has not yet fully caught on to the culture shift underway at Hawaii. This is no longer a team looking to get into shootouts whenever possible. 

Using 2019 as a barometer, Portland State averaged only 14 points against their four FBS opponents. Ideally, a bettor would like to rely on both sides contributing to an Over, and that’s not what we have here as it’s difficult to rely on the Vikings holding up their end of the bargain.

We’re taking the under.

PREDICTION: Under 56.5 (-110)

Portland State vs Hawaii betting card

  • Hawaii -24.5 (-110)
  • Under 56.5 (-110)

Picks made on 9/3/2021 at 10:00 p.m. ET

NCAA parlays

Did you know that if you parlayed today’s Portland State vs. Hawaii picks, you could win $26.45 on a $10 bet?

Use our NCAA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.

Where can I bet on college football odds?

You can bet on college football odds at every online and casino sportsbook, including NCAA moneylines, spreads, Over/Under totals, and a ton of college football prop odds. Head over to our best football betting sites for the top spots to bet on college football odds in your area.

Pages related to this topic

Popular Content

Legal Canadian sports betting

Best Canadian betting sites Ontario sports betting
Covers 25 Years Logo Established in 1995,
Covers is the world
leader in sports
betting information.
Covers is verified safe by: Evalon Logo GPWA Logo GDPR Logo GeoTrust Logo Evalon Logo