Hawaii vs. Cal Prediction, Odds, Time: Expert Picks for Upcoming Hawaii Bowl Game

The 2025 Hawaii Bowl will feature a matchup between the California Golden Bears and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. The game kicks off at 8 p.m. ET at the Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu on Christmas Eve. California arrives with a 7-5 record, fresh off a narrow 38-35 victory over SMU but looking to break a three-game bowl losing streak. Hawaii boasts an 8-4 mark after a convincing 27-7 win against Wyoming and holds a 5-4 all-time record in this bowl.

Recent odds at DraftKings Sportsbook list Hawaii as 1.5-point favorites, with the total points over/under set at 50.5. The Golden Bears lead the all-time series against Hawaii, 2-1, including a dominant 51-21 win in their last meeting in 2016. However, the Rainbow Warriors have a strong scoring trend in this bowl, with eight out of nine prior appearances exceeding 60 total points, often pushing past 70.

A proven projection model from SportsLine, which simulates each FBS game 10,000 times, strongly favors the game going over 50.5 points. The model highlights the expected high-output passing attacks from California’s starting quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Hawaii’s Micah Alejado. Sagapolutele, a native Hawaiian, recently posted a 330-yard, 4-touchdown game and is projected to surpass 300 yards again. Alejado leads the Mountain West in passing yards per game and consistently produces touchdowns in recent matches.

The model also suggests one side of the spread hits approximately 70% of the time but does not specify which side publicly. Football bettors are encouraged to consult SportsLine for detailed picks. Streaming options for the Hawaii Bowl include Fubo, with free trials available for new users.

For bettors seeking value, new users can leverage promotional offers such as DraftKings’ $200 bonus bets and FanDuel’s $250 bonus bets on winning $5 wagers. These betting incentives complement the model’s strong historical accuracy, which stands at 31-19 against the spread since the season started. Those interested in maximizing their Hawaii vs. Cal betting strategy should closely follow the expert model’s insights ahead of kickoff.