Old Dominion (0-0) vs East Carolina (0-0)
Game Info: Saturday, September 7, 2024 at 6:00 pm (Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium)
The Line: Betting Odds: Old Dominion -1.5 / East Carolina +1.5 — Over/Under:
The East Carolina Pirates and the Old Dominion Monarchs meet Saturday in college football action from Foreman Field. Here’s an East Carolina vs Old Dominion prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best East Carolina vs Old Dominion pick. We will examine:
The East Carolina Pirates’ recent form and player performance
The Old Dominion Monarchs’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the East Carolina Pirates
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Old Dominion Monarchs
Recent betting trends in games played between East Carolina and Old Dominion
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the East Carolina vs Old Dominion game
East Carolina Pirates Betting Preview
The Pirates had a pretty rough season in 2023, going 2-10 overall. East Carolina went just 1-7 in the American Athletic Conference, which left the team in last place behind Temple (also 1-7).
In their first outing of the new season, the Pirates took on the Norfolk State Spartans. In that one East Carolina scored in every quarter during a 42-3 blowout victory. QB Jake Garcia had 308 yards, four TDs, and three picks. Leading receiver Anthony Smith bagged 86 yards and a TD off five grabs.
Old Dominion Monarchs Betting Preview
Over on the Old Dominion side, they mustered a 6-7 overall run in 2023 with a 5-3 result in Sun Belt games. The Monarchs finished behind James Madison, App State, and Coastal Carolina in the East Division, then lost the Famous Toastery Bowl 38-35 to Western Kentucky.
Matched up against South Carolina last Saturday, the Monarchs were down 13-7 in the locker room on the way to a tough loss 23-19. Grant Wilson had 197 yards, one score, and two picks. Isiah Paige led the way among receivers with eight catches for 115 yards and a TD.
Why the Old Dominion Monarchs will win
- Old Dominion has won each of its last four home openers.
- East Carolina has lost four of its last five road games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- The underdog has covered the spread in 12 of Old Dominion’s last 13 games.
Why the East Carolina Pirates will win
- Old Dominion has lost each of its last three games against non-conference opponents.
- East Carolina has won seven of its last eight September games as a favorite against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Old Dominion has failed to cover the spread in three of its last four games against non-conference opponents.
- East Carolina has covered the spread in three of its last four road games against non-conference opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Five of Old Dominion’s last six games as an underdog have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Eight of East Carolina’s last 10 games have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- East Carolina rank T1st among FBS teams for Q4 opponent points per game this season (0.0).
- East Carolina rank T1st among FBS teams for H2 opponent points per game this season (0.0).
East Carolina vs Old Dominion Prediction
I’ll try East Carolina. The Pirates have a lot to clean up, however, even considering their blowout performance Saturday. East Carolina notched 506 total yards (358 passing) and 31 first downs, but they also had six turnovers (three lost fumbles) and committed seven penalties. Otherwise, it wasn’t much of a contest as the Pirates gave up just 114 yards (71 passing) on defense.
As for ODU, they were turnover-happy themselves (four) in their opening loss. The Monarchs had a tepid 305 yards of offense (197 passing) but didn’t play too badly on the other side (288 yards allowed). Both teams need to clean up the mistakes this weekend.