East Carolina vs Charlotte Predictions, Picks, Odds, How to Watch for College Football Saturday

East Carolina vs Charlotte Predictions, Picks, Odds, How to Watch for College Football Saturday article feature image
Credit:

Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Pictured: East Carolina head coach Mike Houston.

This article contains predictions for an old game.

The Charlotte 49ers (2-3, 1-0 AAC) and East Carolina Pirates (3-2, 1-0 AAC) meet for an in-state showdown in the American Athletic Conference on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

The Pirates have already surpassed their win total from a year ago with victories over Norfolk State, Old Dominion and UTSA.

Meanwhile, the 49ers got off to a winning start in conference play by downing Rice last week, moving to 2-3 overall.

This is a matchup of two local rivals battling for a win to keep bowl hopes alive, and I see great betting value with the visitors to cash a winning ticket.

Let's dive into my East Carolina vs Charlotte predictions and college football picks for Saturday, Oct. 5.


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East Carolina vs Charlotte Picks, Predictions

  • East Carolina vs Charlotte Pick: East Carolina 1H -4.5

My Charlotte vs East Carolina best bet is on the Pirates to cover the first-half spread, with the best line currently available at DraftKings, according to our live NCAAF odds page.


East Carolina vs Charlotte Odds, Spread, Lines

East Carolina Logo
Saturday, Oct. 5
3:30 p.m. ET
ESPNU
Charlotte Logo
East Carolina Odds
SpreadTotalMoneyline
-9
-110
47
-110o / -110u
-330
Charlotte Odds
SpreadTotalMoneyline
+9
-110
47
-110o / -110u
+265
Odds via bet365. Get up-to-the-minute NCAAF odds here.
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  • East Carolina vs Charlotte Point Spread: East Carolina -9
  • East Carolina vs Charlotte Over/Under: 47 Total Points
  • East Carolina vs Charlotte Moneyline: East Carolina -330 · Charlotte +265


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East Carolina Football vs Charlotte Football Preview

East Carolina Pirates Betting Preview: Tempo, Tempo, Tempo

After the first losing season in three years, East Carolina head coach Mike Houston decided to change offensive philosophies in the offseason. You are already seeing the new approach come to fruition.

Coming into this one, the Pirates rank ninth in seconds per play and 21st in plays per game. However, the fast tempo has an impact on the defensive side of the ball.

ECU’s defense is averaging 77.6 plays per game, which is the third-most in the FBS. There's also another key factor as to why the defense has been on the field a lot.

It comes down to the fact that Houston’s team has not done a good job taking care of the ball. The Pirates are in the bottom 5 in the country for giveaways per game at 2.5.

Whenever the team isn’t turning it over, East Carolina has been productive on offense, especially with the arm of Jake Garcia.

The Missouri transfer has averaged over 290 passing yards and two touchdowns in the wins this season, and he’ll need another big performance here.


Charlotte 49ers Betting Preview: New Quarterback Leads Comeback

Things have not gone to plan for head coach Biff Poggi in Year 2 at Charlotte, but it was always going to be a challenge to get his roster to gel.

Coming into the season, the 49ers brought in a lot of newcomers. In fact, the 71 new Niners ranked behind only Army and North Texas for the only squads with more additions.

With that said, Poggi has to be proud of the comeback victory last week to open AAC play with a win at Rice.

This was sparked by bringing in Deshawn Purdie to run the offense. Purdie entered the game in the third quarter and threw a pair of touchdowns. He finished with 183 yards on 10-for-15 passing in his relief efforts.

However, the standout performer on the night was receiver O’Mega Blake, who also needs to be added to the All-Name team. Blake caught both scores from Purdie and racked up a career-high 153 receiving yards.

It'll be interesting to see if Poggi rides the hot hand with Purdie or goes back to starter Trexler Ivey under center. Regardless, he knows he can call on either off the bench if he needs a spark.

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Charlotte vs East Carolina Matchup Analysis

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Charlotte and East Carolina match up statistically:

East Carolina Offense vs. Charlotte Defense
Offense
Defense
Edge
Rush Success11388
Line Yards11953
Pass Success47101
Havoc11747
Finishing Drives12287
Quality Drives92123
Charlotte Offense vs. East Carolina Defense
Offense
Defense
Edge
Rush Success1077
Line Yards1155
Pass Success11585
Havoc12816
Finishing Drives10262
Quality Drives10124
Pace of Play / Other
PFF Tackling5294
PFF Coverage6101
Special Teams SP+764
Middle 875129
Seconds per Play21.1 (1)27.8 (76)
Rush Rate51% (84)46% (114)

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How To Make College Football Picks For My East Carolina vs Charlotte Prediction

This game was bet early in the week with the opener moving around four points toward East Carolina. Unfortunately, I can’t play the Pirates for the full game after the adjustment, but I do like them to start fast.

So, my best bet is for ECU to cover the first-half spread of -4.5 at BetMGM, which I would play up to -5.5.

I also don’t hate a look at the visitors to clear their team total in the opening half at anything 14 points or better.

Slow starts have been a common theme for Charlotte this season. The 49ers have been losing at halftime in every game, which includes being down 17-3 to FCS foe Gardner-Webb.

Coming into this matchup, Poggi’s squad has been outscored 88-30 in the first halves of games, and opponents are averaging over 17 points in the first half.

This is not good against an ECU team that has been winning at halftime in three of its five contests, including the games against Liberty and Appalachian State.

I also think there’s one key area where the Pirates can attack the 49ers defense, and it's through the air. East Carolina sits in the top 50 in Passing Success Rate offensively, while Charlotte ranks outside the top 100 on defense in the same metric and in coverage grading by Pro Football Focus.

As you see above, ECU’s defense should be able to contain the 49ers offense. I’m hoping that starts from the opening kickoff.

Pick: East Carolina 1H -4.5 (Play to -5.5)


How to Watch East Carolina vs Charlotte Live: Streaming, Channel, Time

Location:Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Date:Saturday, Oct. 5
Kickoff Time:3:30 p.m. ET
TV / Streaming:ESPNU

Charlotte vs East Carolina Betting Trends

  • East Carolina has been the clear sharp side here, drawing 49% of the bets but 99% of the money.
  • The under has also been the sharp side, landing 26% of the tickets but 47% of the cash.

Charlotte vs East Carolina Weather

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About the Author
Brett Pund is a writer for Action Network specializing in college football, soccer and college basketball. He started writing for Action in 2021 and has been betting since 2018. Before joining Action, he worked in athletic media relations at the collegiate and pro level, which is where his writing passion grew. 

Follow Brett Pund @bchinop on Twitter/X.

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