McCall to Transfer as Coastal Carolina Preps for Hawaii Bowl
Hawaii Bowl Betting 2023 Odds: SJSU Climbs to 10-Point Favorite
The Hawaii Bowl kicks off this upcoming December, 23rd. We’ve got the latest updates on lines, injuries, departures and weather right here:
San Jose State opened as 7.5-point favorites and has continued to see heavy support in the betting market, climbing as high as -11 before sliding back a tick to -10 on Thursday. The Spartans are also -375 on the moneyline, with Coastal Carolina coming in at +295.
On top of losing their last two regular season games, the Chanticleers are also dealing with several transfers. Star quarterback Grayson McCall (NC State) and backup Jarrett Guest both entered their names in the NCAA portal, leaving the Chanticleers to lean on third-stringer Ethan Vasko for the bowl game. Vasko has attempted only 89 passes but did start the regular-season finale against James Madison, throwing for 254 yards and a touchdown in a 56-14 loss.
Clearly bettors are siding with the hotter hand in San Jose State, winner of six straight.
Those circumstances at quarterback have also had a noticeable effect on the projected total. While the Over/Under opened at 54.5 and climbed as high as 55, it’s dropped steadily as kickoff approaches. In fact, it fell to 49.5 on Thursday, the first — and only — time it’s been below 50. It’d ranged from 53.5 to 51 over the previous three days.
Now, check out the rest of the Hawaii Bowl preview, originally published on December 8
The college bowl season returns to the Aloha State, with Coastal Carolina facing San Jose State in the Hawai’i Bowl on Dec. 23 (10:30 p.m. ET) at Ching Athletics Complex in Honolulu.
SJSU has seen heavy support in the betting market, climbing from 7.5- to 9.5-point favorites (-110) since college football betting lines opened on Monday. The Spartans are also -410 on the moneyline, while Coastal Carolina is +320 to win outright. The projected total has remained relatively steady at 54 from the opening number of 54.5.
The Hawaii Bowl has been played in the Honolulu area since 2002. It typically features a team from the Mountain West Conference against another Group of Five school. Following a two-year hiatus, last year’s rendition saw Middle Tennessee beat San Diego State 25-23.
What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down the Hawaii Bowl betting 2023 odds.
Hawai’i Bowl Information
Chanticleers vs Spartans 
Day/Time:
Records: Coastal Carolina (7-5)/San Jose State (7-5)
Location: Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex; Honolulu
Streaming: ESPN, ESPN+
McCall’s Absence Leaves Void for Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina is headed to its fourth straight college bowl game and the first under head coach Tim Beck. The Chanticleers are 7-5 (5-3 Sun Belt Conference) after closing the regular season with back-to-back losses to Army and James Madison.
Backups Jarrett Guest and Ethan Vasko split quarterback duties down the stretch after Grayson McCall, a four-year starter, was injured midseason. Both have performed adequately, with Guest completing 72.1% of his passes and Vasko 62.9%.
Coastal Carolina is 39th in total offense, averaging 422.9 yards per game. But neither possesses the kind of big-play capabilities that McCall offers consistently. Because of that, the Chanticleers fell short of returning to the Sun Belt Conference Championship game.
Fortunately for a majority of bettors, Coastal Carolina was still quite profitable. The Chanticleers amassed an 8-4 record against the spread, including 5-2 as an underdog. They successfully covered the spread for five consecutive weeks — during which they also went 5-0 SU — prior to losing 28-21 to Army on Nov. 18.
On the flip side, the Chanticleers were one of the worst teams against the Over/Under. They went Under the projected total in eight of their 12 games, tied for the fifth-highest rate in FBS (66.7%). That’s important to remember when assessing the Hawaii Bowl betting 2023 odds.
Departures & Injuries
McCall (1,919 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT) is no longer in the equation at quarterback after announcing his plans to transfer. The Chanticleers will presumably turn back to Vasko, a freshman who threw for 254 yards and a touchdown against James Madison. Regardless, it’s a big loss.
At the very least, the Chanticleers still have a dynamic receiver in Sam Pickney. The senior has caught at least one pass in an FBS-record 57 consecutive games and is 37th in the country in receiving yards (907).
Better Late Than Never for SJSU
San Jose State reeled off six straight wins after a 1-5 start to clinch a share of the Mountain West Conference regular-season title. However, UNLV was ultimately chosen over the Spartans to play in the conference title game through a computer ranking system.
At 7-5, including 6-2 in conference play, SJSU is headed to back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 1986-87. Last season, the Spartans also went 7-5 and lost 41-27 to Eastern Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
SJSU has been hot offensively, averaging a whopping 46.4 points during its winning streak. It’s beaten NCAAF teams by an average of 22.5 points over that stretch.
Like Coastal Carolina, SJSU has been favorable for many bettors. The Spartans are 8-3-1 ATS, including 5-1 as a favorite. Their 72.7% cover rate is tied for the fourth highest in FBS. They’ve also gone Over the projected total in eight of their 12 NCAA bowl games.
Senior Chevan Cordeiro has had a big hand in that. He’s thrown for 13 touchdowns compared to just one interception during SJSU’s winning streak. The Spartans rank 49th nationally in yards per game (406) and 30th in scoring (33.3 PPG). Keep that in mind when analyzing the Hawaii Bowl betting 2023 odds.
Departures & Injuries
After winning just three games over his first two seasons at SJSU, Brent Brennan has now won seven games in three of the last five as head coach. He’s done an admirable job this year, keeping the Spartans afloat after a 1-5 start. They still have plenty to gain, especially after getting snubbed for the Mountain West Championship game. Remember, they beat UNLV head-to-head but were ultimately passed over because of a computer algorithm.
Support Growing for SJSU in Betting Market
SJSU is dynamic offensively. In addition to Cordeiro, the Spartans also have a pair of big-play running backs in Kairee Robinson (1,127 yards, 18 TD) and Quali Conley (809 yards, 8 TD). As a team, they rank 27th in the country in rushing (186.2 yards per game). That could prove problematic for Coastal Carolina, which will need to score plenty of points without McCall to keep pace.
For NCAAF bowl game odds, betting analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
