1. Game Overview
The California Golden Bears will face the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors in the 2025 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. This Christmas Eve matchup is set to take place in Honolulu, providing the Rainbow Warriors with a true home-field advantage. The game is scheduled for a kickoff on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, at 8:00 PM EST. Football fans can watch the national broadcast on ABC or ESPN, with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit on the call.
2. Team Form and Analysis
California Golden Bears:Specific details on the California Golden Bears’ 2025 season performance, including their final record, key statistical leaders, and recent game results, were not available in the provided data. Their path to bowl eligibility and performance in conference play are unknown, making a detailed analysis of their recent form challenging.
Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors:The Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors enter this bowl game with the unique advantage of playing on their home turf. While their full season record was not specified, the data indicates they secured a notable victory in Week Zero, defeating Stanford on a last-second field goal. In a preview for a late-season matchup against UNLV, quarterback Micah Alejado was highlighted as a key player for the Rainbow Warriors offense. Playing in Honolulu is a significant factor that often energizes the team and poses a challenge for traveling opponents.
3. Injury Report
Detailed injury reports listing specific players for either California or Hawaii were not available in the provided search results. While dedicated injury-tracking pages for both the Golden Bears and Rainbow Warriors exist, no active injuries for key players were mentioned in the provided snippets. The availability and health of starters for both teams following a full regular season are unknown and could be a significant factor in the game’s outcome.
4. Betting Odds Breakdown
- Point Spread: Hawaii -1.5The point spread indicates that the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors are slight favorites to win the game. For a bet on Hawaii to be successful, they must win by 2 or more points. A bet on California would be successful if the Golden Bears win the game outright or lose by a single point. This narrow spread suggests that oddsmakers expect a very close contest.
- Total (Over/Under): 52.5The game’s total, or over/under, is set at 52.5 points. Bettors can wager on whether the combined final score of both teams will be over or under that number. This total suggests expectations for a moderately high-scoring game.
- MoneylineWhile specific moneyline odds were not provided, this bet involves simply picking the outright winner of the game. As the 1.5-point favorite, Hawaii would have shorter odds (e.g., -125), meaning a bettor would have to risk more to win a certain amount. California, as the slight underdog, would have longer odds (e.g., +105).
5. Prediction
Based on the available information, the prediction favors the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors to win a close game. The primary factors driving this forecast are the significant home-field advantage of playing in Honolulu and the betting line establishing them as the slight favorites. The provided data includes a notable early-season victory for Hawaii over Stanford, demonstrating an ability to win tight contests, while comparable performance metrics for California’s 2025 season were absent. With the point spread being so narrow, the environmental and travel advantages for the home team are likely to be the deciding factor in a competitive bowl game.
Prediction: Hawai’i 27, California 24
Sources:
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Head-to-Head Results | College Football …
Fresno State Football History vs University of Hawaii
Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors Scores, Stats and Highlights – ESPN
BRENNAN MARION NAMED HEAD FOOTBALL COACH …
University of Hawai’i at Manoa Athletics Football History vs San Jose …
California, Hawai’i to open 2016 season in Sydney, Australia | NCAA …
Pipeline Rankings- College Football 25 : r/NCAAFBseries
2025 Football Schedule – California Golden Bears Athletics
[Complete History of CFB] 2003 – LSU or USC? A Championship …
2025 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Prediction: Cal vs Hawaii – College …