New Mexico Bowl 2020: Odds, Daily Fantasy Tips for Hawai'i vs. Houston
The Houston Cougars had a two-week head start on the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors, but the Mountain West team from the 50th state played more regular-season games than the American Athletic Conference squad.
The second half of Houston's schedule was ravaged by postponements and cancellations, which resulted in one game played in the last month.
Conversely, Hawai'i played its full eight-game schedule and earned a berth in the New Mexico Bowl alongside the Cougars.
Although it is named the New Mexico Bowl, the game will be played in Frisco, Texas, due to COVID-19 protocols in New Mexico.
Despite dealing with a long November layoff, Houston is a double-digit favorite due to its high-flying offense led by quarterback Clayton Tune.
New Mexico Bowl Info
Date: Thursday, December 24
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN.com or ESPN app
Odds
Spread: Houston (-11)
Over/Under: 59
Money Line: Houston (-500; bet $500 to win $100); Hawai'i (+300; bet $100 to win $300)
Daily Fantasy Tips
Use Clayton Tune As Lineup Foundation
Tune is the more reliable of the two quarterbacks to utilize in daily fantasy lineups.
The Houston junior does not blow away the numbers recorded by Hawai'i's Chevan Cordeiro, but he has been more dynamic.
Tune has five games with multiple touchdown passes and was sacked 13 fewer times than his counterpart from the Rainbow Warriors.
He finished the regular season with five touchdown throws in matchups with the Memphis Tigers and South Florida Bulls.
Tune's worst performances came against the Cincinnati Bearcats and UCF Knights, two of the many bowl teams out of the AAC, but Hawai'i's defense does not compare to those programs.
Hawai'i concedes 421.5 yards per game, which is 4.2 more than Houston allowed in its seven-game slate.
The Warriors let up over 30 points in each of their four losses, and if Houston delivers on its favorite status, it could follow that trend.
Tune will be without Marquez Stevenson, who leads the team in touchdown catches, but he still has two wideouts to work with who have over 20 catches and 300 receiving yards.
Keith Corbin and Nathaniel Dell will be the best stacking options to use with Tune. Running back Kyle Porter could also be an asset in the passing game since he brought in 12 catches and scored once through the air.
Rely on Calvin Turner As Hawai'i's Top Offensive Threat
Calvin Turner does a bit of everything for the Hawai'i offense.
The running back totaled 271 yards on the ground and brought in 29 catches for 458 yards as the team's top receiver.
Turner could have a heavier workload than usual since Miles Reed entered the transfer portal. Reed was the team's top running back.
Due to his versatility, Turner should receive the most touches in the Hawai'i offense, which makes him the most reliable offensive option from the Warriors' roster.
Cordeiro will be the less popular play of the two quarterbacks, but an argument can be made to use him since he leads Hawai'i in rushing yards.
However, Cordeiro had 11 touchdowns compared to six interceptions and was taken down on 26 occasions. If he turns the ball over or does not get the proper protection, Cordeiro may struggle to put up high totals.
Instead of taking the risk with Cordeiro, you should run with the more reliable option in Turner to complement some sort of Houston lineup stack.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
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