Hawaii vs Delaware State Parlay
- Pick 1: 1Q Over 13.5 (-152)
- Pick 2: Hawaii 1H -23.5 (-110)
- Pick 3: Brayden Schager TD Passes Over (Play to -130)
Welcome back, Degenerate Nation. College football Week 0 is finally here, and I'm excited to be back for another season with the Action Network team.
For those of you familiar with the "Big Bets on Campus" podcast, I am "John from Long Island." Yes, that's me who's consistently screaming, crying or cursing on the BBOC voicemail hotline.
I;m an actual person despite being depicted as a cartoon character in the past based on numerous outrageous voicemails aired on the podcast.
But given, those past messages, I thought it'd be fitting to have my first write-up of the season break down every gambler's favorite game of the week: A midnight ET kick on the island in Hawaii.
The Delaware State Hornets travel to Honolulu, coming off a 1-10 record last season. They're projected to be among the worst teams in the FCS, entering this game as 40-point underdogs.
Meanwhile, Timmy Chang's Rainbow Warriors enter the year with their program headed in the right direction, ending last season as winners of three of their final four games.
They have a massive game on deck against UCLA, so there's reason to believe they may not show much in such a lopsided matchup.
I crafted a three-leg same-game for the action, fulfilling the itch for any gambler late in the evening on Saturday night. The parlay pays out nearly 5-1 odds on your wager.
As always, this is a long shot for a reason. Be mindful of your wager size when it comes to parlays, and please bet responsibly.
| Hawaii Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-40 -110 | 56.5 -110o / -110u | N/A |
| Delaware State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+40 -110 | 56.5 -110o / -110u | N/A |
Hawaii vs Delaware State Same-Game Parlay Pick #1: 1Q Over 13.5 (-152)
It seems like everyone is focused on the fact that Chang will refuse to reveal much of the playbook throughout this matchup. What's being overlooked is that the Bows offense will be on full-go until the game gets out of hand late.
Quarterback Brayden Schager showed legitimate growth last season, which was not the case in his previous seasons. Schager now has another season of experience, and most importantly, another year in Chang's Run-and- Shoot offense.
The Hornets finished last season 120th out of 122 FCS teams in defensive passing efficiency, and I don't expect the unit to get much better despite returning plenty of starters.
We don't have to worry about Chang taking his foot off the gas in the first quarter, and I think there's a real possibility the Bows end up with an early defensive touchdown against Hornets signal-caller Marqui Adams.
I wouldn't expect either team to be slow and methodical until the second half, so I'm willing to pay some juice on the first-quarter over.
Hawaii vs Delaware State Same-Game Parlay Pick #2: Hawaii 1H -23.5 (-110)
The Rainbow Warriors have no reason to slow things down in the early portion of the game. Chang's offense should be able to do wonders against a dreadful Hornets secondary, which will then open things up on the ground.
It seems like the entire world is backing Hawaii, so I'm looking to take an alternate approach to get a bit contrarian.
There's a legitimate reason Chang would want to call the dogs off early given that Week 1 marks one of the biggest games in Hawaii's recent team history with UCLA on deck.
Hawaii sits as a 13.5-point underdog next week, but there's no reason for the spread to be that high. Chang's team can put together a strong effort here in the first half and come out guns a-blazing next week against an extremely questionable UCLA team.
With uncertainty on how hard the Bows will press late in the game, I think the mindset for the entire team is to get up big and get out. I wouldn't be surprised to see Schager pulled late in the second half and the Warriors run a methodical offense.
This smells like 35-3 at half.
Hawaii vs Delaware State Same-Game Parlay Pick #3: Brayden Schager Over TD Passes (Play to -130)
Just because the Bows will take their foot off the gas in the second half doesn't mean Schager won't light it up in his season debut. It's a massive year for Schager, who has a chance to lead the Rainbow Warriors to a bowl game.
Schager threw 26 touchdown passes last season and showed even greater signs of improvement in the second half of the year. He's decreased his turnover-worthy pass rate and now will get a chance to explode all over a horrific Hornets secondary.
It feels like a night when Schager will empty the clip before taking the rest of the evening off, so I'll gladly bolster the SGP with his touchdown pass prop.
