ncaaf College Football

California vs Hawaiʻi NCAA Pick: Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl Preview (Dec 24)

Published Dec 22, 12:00am ET by

Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer

Last updated Dec 22, 12:00am ET

Pick status
football

Shutterstock

Updated Dec 22, 12:00am ET

  • California (8-4) beat SMU in their last game with a 38-35 score.
  • Hawaiʻi (8-4) also had a winning week by beating Wyoming 27-7.
  • These teams last played back 2016 in Australia, with California beating Hawaiʻi 51-31.

The Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl is taking place in Honolulu with the California Golden Bears visiting the Rainbow Warriors on Christmas Eve. This will be their 6th all time meeting with the Golden Bears leading the current record at 3-2.

HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS vs. CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS Overview Watch On: ESPN

DATE & TIME

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2025 @ 8:00 PM ET
HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex
Honolulu, HI
CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS
GAME ODDS
BetOnline
HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS -108
CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS -112

Cal Heading to the Islands as Favorites

The Golden Bears are heading to Honolulu as the invitees to the Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl with none other than the Rainbow Warriors. They were 8-4 on the season, with a 5-3 Mountain West record. This will be their 1st appearance in this Bowl game, which usually features Hawaiʻi, but only if they merit a bowl invitation.

California has lost 3 out of their last 5 games but will come in as slight favorites for this match. There are obvious itinerary logistics when teams fly over to the islands as it is costly and tiresome for the visiting team. They'll need to make sure the get acclimatized to the weather, plus rest up from the extensive trip.

Hawaiʻi Back to Their Signature Bowl

The Rainbow Warriors had an identical record as their rivals at 8-4 and are probably happy to be part of their signature bowl, where they'll participate in their 11th appearance here. They'll need to overcome the odds as they are assigned the underdog tag for this one.

The team is known for their inclinations to the passing game, as they have a top 10 passing attack in the nation. Micah Alejado, their starting QB, had 21 TDs this season, versus only 3 TDs from their starting RB. The QB also had 2832 passing yards, plus 9 interceptions.

California vs Hawaiʻi NCAA Pick

The California Golden Bears are heading to the islands as the favorites for this game at -1.5 on the spread. The over/under is 54.5 and we expect a high scoring game as both teams cater more to their offense. The Moneyline has Cal at -120 and the Rainbow Warriors at -108.

For this game, we feel Hawaiʻi will look to perform in front of their home crowd. We recommend jumping on the Hawaiʻi +1.5 pick for this bowl game.

Pick
Hawaiʻi +1.5
New Player Bonus
50% up to $1000
Further Reading
Penguins vs. Maple Leafs NHL Picks: Toronto Bottom of Atlantic Division (Dec 23)
🏒
NHL
Penguins vs. Maple Leafs NHL Picks: Toronto Bottom of Atlantic Division (Dec 23)
Dec 22, 2025
Toronto Maple Leafs have dropped to the foot of the Atlantic Division after losing their last three Pittsburgh Penguins have gone 2-4-4 over their...
Blues vs. Lightning NHL Picks: Tampa Favored to Pick Up Successive Wins (Dec 22)
🏒
NHL
Blues vs. Lightning NHL Picks: Tampa Favored to Pick Up Successive Wins (Dec 22)
Dec 22, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning recorded a dramatic 6-4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes over the weekend St. Louis Blues have gone 5-4-1 over their last...
Thunder vs Grizzlies NBA Pick: OKC Looks To Get Back On Track (Dec 22)
🏀
NBA
Thunder vs Grizzlies NBA Pick: OKC Looks To Get Back On Track (Dec 22)
Dec 21, 2025
The Thunder are 25-3 and own the league's best record. Meanwhile, Memphis is 13-15 and has the ninth-best record in the Western Conference. These...
Celtics vs Pacers NBA Pick: Will Boston Hand Indiana Its Fifth Straight Loss? (Dec 22)
🏀
NBA
Celtics vs Pacers NBA Pick: Will Boston Hand Indiana Its Fifth Straight Loss? (Dec 22)
Dec 21, 2025
The Celtics are 17-11 and have the third-best record in the East. Meanwhile, injury-riddled Indiana has the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference at...