The Manhattan Jaspers and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors will close out Friday night’s college basketball schedule in Honolulu. Both teams are 2-1 to start the season and will look for a win in this Rainbow Classic matchup. The Bows are a heavy favorite on their home floor and will try to get a third straight win. Before this contest tips off, you can find my Manhattan vs Hawaii prediction below.
Our Manhattan vs Hawaii Pick
- Pick: Manhattan +15.5
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Manhattan Jaspers @ Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors
- Date & Time: Friday, November 14, 2025, 11:59 PM ET
- Venue: Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, HI
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
- Hawaii enters with a dominant defense. They are allowing just 63.3 points per game in their three games so far while scoring 82.3 per contest. Their margin of +19.0 is among the better marks nationally after they blew out East Texas A&M and Mississippi Valley State.
- Manhattan comes in averaging 95.7 points per game. But that figure has been built mostly against weaker early‑season opponents. The Jaspers have allowed 82.7 points per game in that same span and they allowed 114 points in a loss to USC.
- A major storyline for Manhattan is dealing with eligibility issues surrounding top returning scorer Will Sydnor, who has yet to appear this season.
- Hawai’i is 2-0 at home to start the season and Manhattan has lost its only true road game of the year. That true road game for the Jaspers came against a Big Ten opponent in USC. But the travel demands of being halfway across the world for the Jaspers could cause them problems in this road game.
Head‑to‑Head & Betting Trends
- These two programs have no recent head‑to‑head history on record.
- Manhattan is 1-1 against the spread so far this season.
- Hawaii has covered the spread in two of its first three games.
- The Jaspers are 1-1 in the over/under market going into Friday night.
- The under has cashed twice in Hawaii’s first three games.
Manhattan vs Hawaii Model Projection
- Score Projection: Manhattan 73 – Hawaiʻi 85
- Win Probability: Hawaiʻi 80%, Manhattan 20%
Final Thoughts
Hawai’i should be able to win and get their third straight victory on their home floor. But I’m going to take the points with Manhattan in this game. The Jaspers have looked fine against everyone but USC so far this season. They should at least stay competitive in this game, even if the Rainbow Warriors will pull away late. This point spread is big enough to get me to bite on the underdog in paradise.
