Hawaii Bowl Preview: San Jose St Spartans vs. South Florida Bulls

The South Florida Bulls (6-6) and San Jose State Spartans (7-5) will battle it out in the Hawaii Bowl on Tuesday, December 24 at 8:00 PM ET. For this college football betting opportunity, the Spartans are favored with a point spread at -3.5 (-105).

South Florida Bulls Betting Preview

The Bulls have gone 3-2 in their last five games and are coming off of a recent loss that snapped their two-game win streak. This defeat was a 35-28 performance against the Rice Owls.

They were down big early with a 27-7 deficit heading into the half, but could not overcome that gap despite a strong push in the fourth quarter. Bryce Archie completed 19 of 35 passes for 277 yards, a touchdown, but also had an interception.

Offensively they looked great on paper with 431 yards, 18 first downs, but did have two costly turnovers. However, their defense gave up 550 yards, 27 first downs, and did force one turnover on the Owls.

The Bulls are averaging 31.4 points a game and rank 42nd in the nation for this output. Their defense has allowed 29.0 points a game to their opponents, which ranks 98th. This margin of error is slim, but their offense has to be precise to keep it that way.

San Jose State Spartans Betting Preview

The Spartans are 2-3 in their last five games, with a recent triumph that ended their two-game skid. This win was a 34-31 outing over the Stanford Cardinal.

This matchup was relatively close throughout the game, with the Spartans nearly letting their lead go when they allowed the Cardinal to put up 14 points in the fourth quarter. Walker Eget completed 33 of his 49 passes for 385 yards, had four touchdowns, but had an interception.

Their offense accumulated 443 yards, 30 first downs, and had two bad turnovers. Their defense held the Cardinal to 379 yards, 21 first downs, and forced three turnovers. They actually had the ball for less time by a few minutes in comparison to the Cardinal, but this did not seem to bother the offense.

The Spartans rank 71st in the nation for allowing 27.5 points a game. Defensively they rank 80th for allowing 26.4 points a game. Their margin of error is similar to the Bulls, but their offense has not been as prolific.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

The college football betting odds have been provided by MyBookie in the South Florida Bulls vs. San Jose State Spartans showdown. These odds currently show the Spartans as 3.5-point favorites.

According to market predictions, the Bulls have a better chance at winning with a 53.9 percent implied probability. The Bulls have looked more appealing on offense this season and should be able to cover the spread.

Final Pick: South Florida Bulls -3.5 (-115)