East Carolina Pirates vs. Temple Owls, Odds, Preview, Prediction and Picks – Saturday, November 1
The Temple Owls will host the East Carolina Pirates this weekend, and we'll preview the lines and odds in our East Carolina vs. Temple prediction. East Carolina had a bye last week after their 41-27 victory over Tulsa, while Temple spent last week beating Tulsa 38-37 on the road. Kickoff is set for 2:00 PM ET on Saturday, November 1.
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East Carolina returns from bye after 41-27 win over Tulsa
The East Carolina Pirates rank 7th in the 14-team American Conference standings heading into Week 10. They're 4-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play, having alternated wins and losses over their past five games.
The Pirates didn't quite cover as 16.5-point favorites against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane two weeks ago, but the game wasn't exactly close, either. ECU gained 568 yards on offense, outgaining Tulsa by 170 yards. They scored first, were up 24-14 at the end of the first half, and maintained a two-score lead for all but four minutes in the second half. Katin Houser completed 21 of 38 passes for 300 yards, posting a 55.3 completion percentage, 7.9 yards per attempt, and two touchdowns, while adding another 22 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Pirates dominated on the ground overall, averaging 5.1 yards per carry while scoring three touchdowns between Houser and a cadre of running backs. London Montgomery led the group with 125 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries; Marlon Gunn Jr. added 60 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, and T.J. Engleman Jr. added another 40 yards on ten carries.
East Carolina ranks 15th among 136 FBS teams in passing yards per game (293.6). They're 61st in rushing yards per game (161.9), 57th in points per game (30.3), and T-16th in points allowed per game (17.1). All four of their wins this season have come by multiple-score margins, while their 34-13 loss to BYU is their only multiple-score loss this season.
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Temple secures narrow 38-37 win over Tulsa
The Temple Owls are 5-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play heading into Week 10, slotting them in at sixth in the American Conference standings. They're coming off their first consecutive wins against FBS opponents, both on the road, between a 49-14 stomping of Charlotte and a 38-37 overtime thriller at Tulsa.
Temple didn't beat Tulsa by much–they outgained them by only 11 yards, gave up the lead three times, and won when the Golden Hurricane failed on a two-point conversion after their first overtime touchdown. The Owls gave up 87 yards on seven penalties, and they only converted on three of 12 third-down attempts. The first half ended with Temple driving 74 yards, falling short on a fourth-down run at the Tulsa 2-yard line, and giving up a 99-yard touchdown drive with less than two minutes in the half. If this game had gone the other way, that sequence is likely what fans would've pointed to as the most egregious reason why.
The Owls won anyway. Largely because of Evan Simon, who completed 24 of 35 passes for 267 yards and five touchdowns in this game. Three of those touchdowns were caught by Kajiya Hollawayne, who caught ten of Simon's 24 completions for 85 yards. The other two touchdowns went to running back Jay Ducker, who logged 23 receiving yards on four catches alongside 78 rushing yards on 16 carries. Hunter Smith led the backfield with 92 rushing yards, including a 72-yard run on the second-quarter drive that ended without a score.
Temple only ranks 83rd in passing yards per game (216.6) among FBS teams, but Simon has posted three of his four highest yardage totals in the team's last three games. The team also ranks T-50th in rushing yards per game (173.0) and 40th in points per game (33.6).
ECU vs Temple Pick
Spread Pick for ECU vs Temple
- Temple +4.5 (-105) (4 Units)
Temple is 3-1 since diving into their American Conference schedule, and they're a one-point loss against Navy away from being 4-0. They're 6-2 against the spread this season, only failing to cover as 24-point underdogs against Oklahoma (42-3) and as five-point favorites against Tulsa last week (38-37). East Carolina is 1-3 against the spread in their last four games, and they've lost two of their three road games this season. Temple narrowly avoided a loss last week, but they're better than most fans realize and can certainly cover here.
Over/Under Pick for ECU vs Temple
- Under 57.5 (-105) (4 Units)
The Team Total Under is 5-2 in East Carolina games, and they haven't seen a pregame total this high since before their conference schedule started. Before beating Tulsa 41-27, the only game the Pirates had played this season in which 50 or more points were scored was their 56-3 win over FCS Campbell. Temple is coming off a 38-37 victory over Tulsa, but 13 of those points were scored in overtime. I'd expect a lower total in this one.
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