East Carolina Pirates (1-5) vs Charlotte 49ers (1-5)
Game Info: Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 2:00 pm (Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium)
Betting Odds: East Carolina Pirates -6.5 -- Over/Under: 40.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
Where to Watch: ESPN+ Stream live sports and exclusive originals on ESPN+. Sign up now! 
The Charlotte 49ers will play the East Carolina Pirates in an AAC game on Saturday afternoon at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenview, North Carolina. Both of these teams come into this game with 1-5 records and are looking for their first win in conference play.
Charlotte Preview
The Charlotte 49ers are 1-5 (0-2) this season after they lost to Navy by a score of 14-0 in their last game. Charlotte played solid defense in this game, but they allowed two 60+ yard touchdowns in the second half. The 49ers recorded 265 yards in the game and turned the ball over three times. Charlotte’s lone win came against South Carolina State in the season opener, but they have lost five games in a row since. The Charlotte offense is scoring 15.3 points per game with 170.2 passing yards per game and 133.5 rushing yards per game, while going 23.8% on the third downs. Trexler Ivey has thrown for 601 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions for the 49ers this season. Terron Kellman has rushed for 184 yards, while Jack Hestera (questionable) has caught 22 passes for 283 yards and two scores. The Charlotte defense is allowing 25.3 points against per game this season.
East Carolina Preview
The East Carolina Pirates are 1-5 (0-2) this year after they lost to SMU by a score of 31-10 last week. East Carolina trailed 14-10 at the half, but they weren’t able to score in the second half. The Pirates were out gained by a total of 334-290 and turned the ball over twice in the loss. East Carolina’s lone win came against Gardner Webb in their fourth game of the season. The East Carolina offense is scoring 20.5 points per game with 173.2 passing yards per game and 128.7 rushing yards per game, while going 33.3% on third downs. Mason Garcia has thrown for 389 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions for the Pirates this year. Rahjai Harris has rushed for 250 yards and four scores, while Chase Sowell has caught 22 passes for 268 yards. The ECU defense is giving up 26.5 points against per game this year.
East Carolina Pirates Team Facts
- East Carolina has lost six of its last seven matches at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium when playing with a rest advantage.
- East Carolina has failed to cover the spread in each of its last four games against conference opponents.
- East Carolina has lost the first half in three of its last four home games against conference opponents.
- Seven of East Carolina's last eight games against conference opponents at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium have gone UNDER the total points line.
Charlotte 49ers Team Facts
- Charlotte has lost each of its last five games.
- Charlotte has failed to cover the spread in seven of its last eight matches when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- Each of Charlotte's last five games against conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Pick
Both of these teams come into this contest looking for their first win against a FBS team this season, and East Carolina will have the home field advantage. The Pirates played SMU and Rice very tough in their last two games, and lost to three very good teams to open the season, so they may be better than their record suggests. Charlotte was shutout in their last game and they are averaging just over seven points per game in their last three games. The 49ers did play Navy very hard in their last game, but they are allowing over 380 yards per game. I think we are going to see a lower scoring game in this matchup, but I like Charlotte with the points here.
David’s Pick Charlotte +6.5
AUTHOR: David Racey
Mitch's Take...
