The Charlotte 49ers and the East Carolina Pirates meet Saturday in college football action from Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Here’s an East Carolina vs Charlotte prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best East Carolina vs Charlotte pick.
Charlotte 49ers Betting Preview
This year Charlotte started off with a pair of losses, falling versus Appalachian State and North Carolina in blowout results during their first two outings. The Niners followed that up with a one-score win over Monmouth, then fell versus Rice, South Florida, Army and Temple in the next quartet of appearances. The 49ers gave up 21 points in two different quarters (the second and third) during the 49-14 loss to Temple along with 384 total yards and 7.2 yards per play. The Charlotte offense accounted for 357 yards, 199 rush yards and 21 first downs as well.
In their latest outing on October 24 versus North Texas, the 49ers fell back into the loss column. Charlotte was looking good with a 10-7 lead heading into the second quarter, then coughed up double-digit points in each of the next three periods (including 27 in the fourth quarter) in a 54-20 blowout loss at home. QB Grayson Loftis finished 20-of-36 for 295 yards and a couple of touchdown passes, while Jariel Cobb rushed 13 times for 59 yards. Leading team receiver Javen Nicholas added seven catches for 187 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a very nice statistical day.
East Carolina Pirates Betting Preview
Over on the East Carolina side, they opened up their season with a 24-17 loss to NC State then took wins in the next pair over Campbell and Coastal Carolina. The Pirates lost to BYU in game four then beat Army, lost to Tulane and beat Tulsa. In the 41-27 home win over the Hurricane, the Pirates scored in every quarter—including double-digits in three of four. The offense bagged 568 total yards in the end with 268 rush yards, 6.2 yards per play and 27 first downs. Defensively ECU held the opposition to just 6-of-19 on third-down conversion attempts.
In their latest matchup versus Temple on Saturday, the Pirates kept it going with another win. East Carolina was up 28-0 by the end of the first half, scoring 14 points in each of the first three quarters during a 45-14 victory. Katin Houser threw for 256 yards, two sores and a pick on 19-of-24 passing and London Montgomery led the rush with 14 totes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Tops in receiving was Yannick Smith with five catches for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns along the way to the victory.
Charlotte 49ers @ East Carolina Pirates Betting Trends: Week 11
East Carolina Pirates Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 11, Katin Houser leads East Carolina for touchdowns (4) this season.
Charlotte 49ers Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 11, E. Jai Mason leads Charlotte for touchdowns (4) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- East Carolina ranks 7th among FBS teams for 3rd down conversion percentage this season (52.8).
- East Carolina ranks 127th among FBS teams for 4th down conversion percentage this season (35.0).
- Charlotte ranks 135th among FBS teams for yards allowed per game this season (477.9).
- Charlotte ranks 134th among FBS teams for H1 points per game this season (6.6).
East Carolina vs Charlotte Prediction
I’ll stay with East Carolina but with the thick line it’s not worth messing with. The Pirates are coming off a nice effort versus Temple over the weekend, improving their record to 5-3. ECU bagged 614 total yards in that one with a whopping 358 of those coming on the ground. The offense also managed 8.2 yards per play, 26 first downs and 6-of-12 on third downs but did have a couple of turnovers. On the other side East Carolina held the Owls to just 233 total yards, 11 first downs and 3-of-12 on third-down tries. That makes a combined 86 points over the last two games for the Pirates.
As for Charlotte, there’s not a lot to get excited about this season. The 49ers gave up a nutty 754 yards to North Texas in their latest loss—including 608 passing yards and 32 first downs. The offense just couldn’t keep up, especially with a rough 4-of-16 success rate on third downs. Charlotte will likely have a rough time keeping pace on the scoreboard if ECU plays well.