Hawai'i Bowl 2021: Odds, Daily Fantasy Tips for Memphis vs. Hawai'i
December 23, 2021
College football's Christmas Eve tradition is back on the schedule in 2021.
The Memphis Tigers and Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors will square off in the Hawai'i Bowl on Friday night.
The Hawai'i Bowl is typically one of the few sporting events played on Christmas Eve, and it is usually one of the more exciting standalone games on the calendar.
Each of the last eight winners of the Hawai'i Bowl reached the 30-point mark, and both participants are capable of hitting that total.
Memphis and Hawai'i both average and concede over 400 total yards per game, so it should be the perfect matchup to produce a ton of points.
Hawai'i Bowl Info
Date: Friday, December 24
Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN app and ESPN.com.
Game Odds
Spread: Memphis (-8.5)
Over/Under: 55.5
Money Line: Memphis (-310; bet $310 to win $100); Hawai'i (+245; bet $100 to win $245)
Daily Fantasy Tips
Trust Seth Henigan As Game's Best Quarterback
Memphis carries a significant edge at quarterback with freshman Seth Henigan.
Henigan started the entire season for the Tigers, and he will be opposed by Hawai'i backup Brayden Schager, who is taking over for the departed Chevan Cordeiro. Cordeiro entered the transfer portal after the regular season ended.
Henigan helped Memphis become bowl eligible with a win in its regular-season finale by throwing for 336 yards and three scores against the Tulane Green Wave.
The young signal-caller produced 25 touchdowns and eight picks in his first go-around at the FBS level, and he should be able to put up big numbers against Hawai'i's lackluster defense.
Hawai'i gives up 446 total yards per game and 289.7 passing yards per game. That could help Henigan easily eclipse the 300-yard mark.
Henigan will be without his top target Calvin Austin, a 1,000-yard receiver who opted out of the bowl game to focus on the 2022 NFL draft.
Tight end Sean Dykes and wide receivers Javon Ivory and Eddie Lewis should help fill the void left open by Memphis' top pass-catcher.
Dykes is probably the best option to stack with Henigan in a daily fantasy football contest because he has seven touchdown catches, which is one fewer than Austin.
Dykes was second on the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, and he should be a menace to the Hawai'i defense.
Select Hawai'i Calvin Turner
Hawai'i will have its dynamic wide receiver on the field on Friday.
Calvin Turner could be the difference-maker in the contest for the home side. He had 73 carries and 73 receptions in the regular season.
The Rainbow Warriors could use Turner in numerous ways to break open a Memphis defense that gives up 418 total yards per game.
Turner's experience could help Schager work into a rhythm in his new starting quarterback role. That is vital for Hawai'i to achieve any success on Friday.
The Hawai'i offense posted 88 points in its final two games to become bowl eligible. The 6-7 squad was handed a berth in its home bowl after the creation of the Frisco Football Classic allowed two 6-6 teams to live out their postseason dream.
Hawai'i was 3-2 on the island in the regular season. It scored 23 points across its two losses to the San Jose State Spartans and San Diego State Aztecs.
The good news for Hawai'i is Memphis' defense is not as good as those two Mountain West squads. That should lead to Turner and his teammates having a massive day in what should end up as a high-scoring affair.
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