New Mexico vs. Hawai'i Prediction, Odds & Pick
Prediction, odds and the model's read
Our model's read
Scouting report
2026 · 2 games in, blended with the projection
Where New Mexico gets at Hawai'i: 7th at staying out of the backfield, against a unit 128th at stuffing runs at the line. Where Hawai'i gets at New Mexico: 49th at hitting chunk plays, against a unit 100th at keeping everything in front of them. New Mexico is also 27th at keeping a clean pocket, against a unit 109th.
How
UNMattacks
HAW
- 1
Expect clean run lanes
getting stopped at the line · projected · 1 game in
UNM5.3%#7 of 138HAW12.5%#128 of 138 - 2
Expect a clean pocket
sacks and tackles for loss · projected · 1 game in
UNM9.0%#27 of 138HAW10.2%#109 of 138 - 3
Run it
running it · projected · 1 game in
UNM+0.47#32 of 138HAW+0.28#108 of 138
HowHAWattacksUNM
- 1
Take shots
hitting chunk plays · 54% this season, 2 games
HAW1.26#49 of 138UNM1.47#100 of 138
The two teams
New Mexico
New Mexico is in year 2 under Jason Eck. The strengths are on both sides of the ball, led by 7th at staying out of the backfield.
New Mexico has played 1 game against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 16% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Offensegetting stopped at the line5.3%#7 of 138
- Defensethe push the line gets1.39#19 of 138
- Offensesacks and tackles for loss9.0%#27 of 138
Hawai'i
Hawai'i throws it: Timmy Chang's offenses have been heavily pass-leaning across 4 seasons. The way in is 129th at holding the line of scrimmage, and they are 112th on first and second down.
On fourth down he goes for it about as often as his peers do from the same spots (+0.8%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −23.2% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.
Hawai'i has played 2 games against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 26% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Soft spots
- Defensethe push the line gets3.41#129 of 138
- Offensefirst and second down37%#112 of 138
- Offenserunning it+0.04#111 of 138
Ranks are national. Nothing here is last season's number — carrying one forward is measurably worse than saying nothing — and in-season figures are adjusted for who was actually played. This describes the matchup; it is not a prediction and not a pick.
Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.
Model prediction
how the number is builtOur model simulates the game drive by drive from each side's opponent-adjusted efficiency (HAW Elo 1426, UNM Elo 1558 for reference), with home-field advantage. That projects HAW -6 (64% to win), essentially in line with the market.
Why that percentage is worth reading: across 604 graded in-season games, the calls this model put near 58% came in at 58.2%. The full calibration table is published, bin by bin. Early in the season the cold-start path runs instead and calibrates less well (Brier 0.2028 against 0.1889).
Model as of Sep 1 · through week 1 · drive simulation
Where the game is won
2026 national rank · right is better
offensethe defense it faces
Moving the ball
UNM72nd115thHAWHAW126th8thUNMThrough the air
UNM111th81stHAWHAW71st6thUNMOn the ground
UNM26th124thHAWHAW124th24thUNMStaying on the field
UNM53rd106thHAWHAW65th10thUNMTaking care of it
UNM31st118thHAWHAW68th1stUNM
Each bar runs from last in the country on the left to 1st on the right. The filled span is the gap between the offense and the defense it faces.
Season form — 2026
nationally rankedThe matchup, in context
series history + adjusted profilesHawai'i leads 17–11 · 21% have been one-possession games
| UNM | HAW | |
|---|---|---|
| +7.4 (#41) | CORE overall | -16.0 (#132) |
| -2 / -9 | offense / defense | -12 / +4 |
| 4.11 | points / drive | 1.04 |
| 0.78 | allowed / drive | 2.23 |
| 11% | three-and-outs | 42% |
| -4 | pass over expected | +15 |
Bold is the side ahead. CORE strips the situation from every play and solves the schedule out across the league, so these compare two teams that never met.
Key matchups
The analyst read: each team's offense splits crossed against the opponent's defense, with the edges called out.
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FAQ
Who will win New Mexico vs. Hawai'i?
Gridpex's model favors Hawai'i with a 64% win probability.
What's the predicted spread for New Mexico vs. Hawai'i?
The model projects Hawai'i by 6.0.
What time is New Mexico vs. Hawai'i and what channel is it on?
Time TBD, at Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.
Where this number comes from. Every projection on this page is produced by the same model, run before kickoff on opponent-adjusted efficiency, power ratings and situational data — walk-forward validated on eleven seasons and never adjusted after the fact. How the model works →