Hawaii vs. Stanford betting preview: Week 0 college football picks, predictions, best bets, start time

Stanford enters 2026 with a new head coach, and the Cardinal's first test is at home against Hawaii

Aug 29, 2026 at 9:10 am ET • 4 min read

While September is when football really gets into the swing, the 2026 college football season kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 29, with an intriguing slate of games. One of them is a rematch of a game last year as the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors head across the Pacific Ocean to the West Coast for a date with the Stanford Cardinal. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET in Palo Alto, Calif. Bet on college football games with the FanDuel promo code and get $350 in bonus bets here:

The Cardinal had a strange year last year as former NFL head coach Frank Reich was the season-long interim leader after the team parted ways with Troy Taylor in the summer. Reich's first taste of college head coaching was a narrow 23-20 loss at Hawaii. Stanford wound up finishing 2025 with a 4-8 record, while Hawaii went 9-4. The Cardinal are now led by former NFL quarterbacks coach Tavita Prichard, while the Rainbow Warriors enter Year 5 under Timmy Chang, who appears to have his alma mater moving in the right direction. 

Stanford is a 5.5-point favorite at home, per the FanDuel Sportsbook odds, and the total is set at 49.5. Hawaii will look to make noise in the Mountain West Conference, especially after teams like Boise State left for the Pac-12, while Stanford is trying to move in the right direction in the ACC in Prichard's first year running the show. 

Those interested in betting on college football games can sign up at any of the best sports betting apps to place wagers on this Hawaii vs. Stanford matchup. Here, we'll break down everything for bettors to know when the Cardinal host the Rainbow Warriors, and for even more college football analysis, check out what SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model have to say. Bet on college football with the DraftKings promo code and get a $200 bonus with $5+ in wagers:

Hawaii vs. Stanford betting odds (via FanDuel)

Hawaii vs. Stanford betting preview

Conference realignment really shook up the college football world entering 2024, but things have largely settled down since. We did see some shakeup this offseason with the new-look Pac-12 poaching members of a few conferences, namely the Mountain West. As a result, the conference added former FCS powerhouse North Dakota State to the mix. 

There's a strong case to be made for a few different Mountain West teams to win the conference, but don't sleep on Hawaii, which is fresh off a nine-win campaign that included a home win over its first opponent of the 2026 season, Stanford. 

The Rainbow Warriors' head coach, Chang, was a record-setting quarterback at Hawaii, and after winning just 13 games over his first three seasons, his team nearly got to double digits in 2025. It's a veteran team that returns a ton of key starters, namely quarterback Micah Alejado and running back Cam Barfield. Hawaii is a sleeper team in the Mountain West, and the offense could be one of the better units in the conference in 2026. Bet on college football with the DraftKings promo code and get a $200 bonus:

Hawaii escaped its first game of 2025 with a three-point home win over a Stanford side that wound up winning just four games all year and finished 122nd in scoring offense. The Cardinal operated under an interim head coach in Reich last year, but the team has its guy in Prichard, who will run the program alongside GM and former legendary quarterback Andrew Luck. 

Expectations are still low in Palo Alto, though, as the Cardinal's win total futures betting line is set at just 3.5 at FanDuel. However, this is a game that Stanford is favored to win, as they're a decent favorite in terms of money line betting, and they're a 5.5-point favorite in spread betting as well. 

Oddsmakers also expect a higher-scoring game than a year ago, as the Over/Under betting line is 49.5, though these teams combined for 43 points in the 2025 opener. Use the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS to get bonus bets when wagering on college football games:

Hawaii vs. Stanford picks, prediction

Hawaii money line

I understand why the Rainbow Warriors are underdogs here. They went 7-1 at home last year compared to 2-3 on the road, and they only beat Stanford by three at home to begin 2025. I just don't buy the Cardinal being much improved from a year ago and getting off to a good start in a first-time head coach's debut. 

The Rainbow Warriors, on the other hand, return the bulk of their starters -- including their quarterback -- after winning nine games a year ago. A trip across the Pacific to Palo Alto isn't an easy task, but it's the first game of the year, and even though Stanford is a Power Four team in the ACC, there's a strong likelihood that Hawaii is the more talented unit. 

There's a lot of unknown with Stanford and how the team looks here -- and for all of 2026, really -- but I don't think the Cardinal will be a team that surprises people in a good way this season. Given that Hawaii is an underdog at plus money, this is a worthy play, especially if you're high on the team's overall prospects in 2026 like I am. Claim the Fanatics Sportsbook promo code CBSFAN26 here: