To close down a loaded day of college football action, Hawaii will host Fresno State for some late-night action. Both teams enter with a 3-1 record, and this matchup could have some important implications for the Mountain West standings. These two programs have faced off 56 times in their history, with Fresno State coming out on top in 30 of these matchups with one tie occurring back in 1985.
Looking at the odds, Fresno State enters as a three-point favorite and holds -155 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. Hawaii holds +130 odds of getting the outright victory with the game total set at 46.5.
You can check out the full breakdown of this matchup and plenty of others on DK Network. But there are plenty of ways to get involved in the action beyond just backing a side or game total. This article looks at my top player props for the Fresno State vs. Hawaii matchup.
Fresno State vs. Hawaii Prop Bets
Rayshon Luke & Bryson Donelson to Record 2+ Combined Touchdowns (+125)
Located in the combined player props section of DraftKings Sportsbook, I am backing Rayshon Luke and Bryson Donelson to combine for at least two touchdowns tonight. The pair of running backs dominate Fresno State’s rushing attack, which is averaging 202.5 yards per game on the ground and three rushing touchdowns per game.
Donelson leads the Mountain West with 50 rushing attempts and 325 rushing yards thus far on the season. He has scored two touchdowns so far, which came against Georgia Southern and Southern University. Luke is not far behind him with 36 rush attempts for 224 yards and a conference-best five rushing touchdowns already. He also added a touchdown through the air to bring his total to six on the season, with all six of these coming over the past three games.
Fresno State will face off with a Hawaii defense that has allowed 20.8 points and 274.5 yards per game. They are allowing 1.3 rushing touchdowns per game compared to 0.5 passing touchdowns to this point. They gave up four rushing touchdowns to Arizona already this season, and Fresno State has been a better-performing rushing team than the Wildcats.
Expect the Bulldogs to lean on their rushing attack and attack this area of weakness in Hawaii. Count on both Rayshon Luke and Bryson Donelson to see plenty of touches and find the end zone in this matchup. The running back duo is responsible for 47.1% of the team’s touchdowns thus far and should build off this with a pair of combined scores tonight.
Landon Sims Anytime Touchdown (+140)
On the other side of the matchup, Hawaii has yet to score a rushing touchdown on the season. Landon Sims headlines the rushing attack with 39 attempts for 154 yards on the ground. He has found the end zone through the air already, but Hawaii has not done a good enough job establishing the run. I expect this to be a focal point tonight.
Quarterback Micah Alejado is expected to return to the field tonight after missing the past two games due to an ankle injury. Luke Weaver did a nice job filling in during his absence, and the Rainbow Warriors are intent on running a pass-first offense regardless of who is under center. So far this year, they have thrown 175 times compared to a total 115 rushing attempts.
While the pass-first style is admirable, Hawaii has to take some strides in providing more balance. This is especially the case around the end zone. The Rainbow Warriors have seven passing touchdowns but none on the ground. Cam Barfield is also in the mix in the backfield with 21 rush attempts for 89 yards so far this season, but Sims has logged 57 snaps compared to 28 for Barfield.
Sims has a 6-foot-3 frame and a background as a tight end. He is more versatile in his skillset and has a body that should be a match for goal-line touches. Look for Hawaii to lean on a more balanced attack tonight and keep defenses honest in the red zone. Getting +140 odds for the top red-zone running back is solid value, and I like tonight to be the Rainbow Warriors’ first time punching in a rushing score.
