Arizona State steps outside Big 12 play Saturday night when the Sun Devils welcome Hawaii to Mountain America Stadium for their final nonconference game of the regular season.
The Sun Devils enter Week 6 looking for a major response after an ugly 55-19 home loss to Baylor last weekend. After opening the season with plenty of expectations, Arizona State has struggled to find consistency, and Saturday gives Kenny Dillingham‘s team an opportunity to get things headed back in the right direction before returning to Big 12 play.
Hawaii now comes to Tempe for a late-night matchup in which Arizona State will be a heavy favorite. But after what happened against Baylor, the bigger question may not simply be whether the Sun Devils win — it’s whether they can put together the type of convincing performance that restores some confidence heading into the heart of their conference schedule.
Here’s everything you need to know about Hawaii vs. Arizona State, including the latest odds, our biggest question and our prediction and pick for Saturday’s Week 6 matchup.
Arizona State vs. Hawai’i State Odds
- Spread: Arizona State -20.5
- Over/Under: 49.5
- Moneyline: Arizona State -1800/Hawai’i +920
Odds as of Tuesday afternoon. Odds are subject to change.
The Biggest Question: Does Arizona State Have Its Get-Right Game?
Arizona State was hideous across the board last week in their 55-19 loss to Baylor in their Big 12 home opener. It was one I did not see coming. Now, they take on a Hawai’i team that is off to a rough 1-4 start with an 0-3 record in the Mountain West Conference. This needs to be a game where Arizona State takes all of its frustrations from last week out on the Rainbow Warriors. If it’s not, this season could unravel on the Sun Devils very quickly.
Arizona State vs. Hawai’i Prediction and Pick
Prediction: Arizona State 38, Hawai’i 13
Hawai’i has played one Power 4 team, and it was Stanford, who they lost to 37-27. Since then, Stanford has played four Power 4 games, losing to Miami 45-6, Duke 35-7 and Wake Forest 57-3. They do have a win over Georgia Tech (34-27) sandwiched in between. But this conclusion to come to is that this Hawai’i team really doesn’t have much of a reason to be able to hang in this game. Hawaii is going to throw the ball over and over and over again, and do it at a fast pace, but that has not translated to touchdowns, as the program ranks 8th out of 10th in the conference in touchdowns. Now Arizona State’s defense has been far from elite. Even against Kansas, a game they won, they were outgained during that London match up. But something tells me that Kenny Dillingham has made this a brutal week in practice, and the Sun Devils will be, and have to be, dialed in this weekend, which leads to a big blowout, and a get-right game.
One interesting betting trend favors Arizona State. While roughly 75% of tickets are on Hawaii, the Sun Devils have attracted about 93% of the money wagered on the game. That disparity typically suggests larger, more respected wagers are backing Arizona State, while a greater number of smaller bets are landing on Hawaii. In other words, the public may like the Rainbow Warriors and the points, but the biggest bettors appear more comfortable laying nearly three touchdowns with the Sun Devils.
