Liberty vs Coastal Carolina Picks and Prediction for Thursday September 24 2026
The Liberty Flames visit the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina, on Thursday, September 24, 2026. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET with national coverage on ESPN. Liberty enters the matchup at 2-1 after rebounding from a season-opening loss with consecutive victories, while Coastal Carolina sits at 1-2 following a 22-14 road loss to Delaware. This renews an old rivalry in which Liberty owns an 8-7 all-time advantage, including a 37-34 overtime victory in the 2020 Cure Bowl. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free college football picks for more NCAAF predictions throughout the season.
Liberty Offense Finds Another Gear
Liberty opened its season with a 20-13 road loss to James Madison before surviving Gardner-Webb 24-23. The Flames then produced by far their strongest offensive performance of the young season, hammering Ball State 51-15. That gives Liberty a two-game winning streak and 75 points over its last two contests after scoring only 13 in the opener.
The progression of the Liberty offense is the most encouraging part of this matchup. The Flames went from scoring 13 points in Week 1 to 24 in Week 2 and then exploded for 51 against Ball State. They have now scored 88 points through three games while allowing 58, with the defense holding two of the first three opponents to 20 points or fewer.
The concern is that Liberty’s only road appearance resulted in its only loss. This is also a very different environment from the last two home games. Still, the offensive improvement is difficult to ignore, and Liberty comes into Conway with considerably more momentum than a Coastal Carolina team that has lost two of its first three.
Coastal Carolina Returns Home Looking for a Rebound
Coastal Carolina has followed a very different path to 1-2. The Chanticleers opened with a competitive 31-24 road loss to West Virginia, crushed Fordham 45-7 at home, and then dropped a 22-14 decision at Delaware. Coastal therefore returns to Brooks Stadium after scoring only 14 points in its latest outing.
Through three games, Coastal Carolina has scored 83 points and surrendered 60. The 45-point performance against Fordham demonstrated the offense’s ceiling, but the Chanticleers have averaged only 19 points in their two losses. That inconsistency becomes important against a Liberty team coming off its most productive offensive showing of the season.
Home field gives Coastal a meaningful counterargument. Its only home game resulted in a 38-point victory, while Liberty lost its only road contest. The problem is that Liberty appears to be trending upward offensively while Coastal just took a step backward. If the Flames carry even a portion of their Week 3 offensive efficiency onto the road, the Chanticleers may need their best offensive game of the season against an FBS opponent.
Liberty vs Coastal Carolina Picks and Prediction
Pick: Liberty Moneyline
Liberty gets the side lean because its trajectory has been stronger through three weeks. The Flames have followed their opening loss with two victories and just put 51 points on the board, while Coastal is coming off a game in which it managed 14. Coastal’s home field keeps this from being an easy matchup, but Liberty’s improving offense and recent momentum give the Flames the better profile entering Thursday night. With no verified spread available, the moneyline is the cleaner target rather than manufacturing a number.
Pick: Under 55.5 or Higher
There is enough offensive upside on both sides to make a low total dangerous, but 55.5 would provide an attractive starting point for the under. Coastal has scored 24 and 14 in its two games against FBS opposition, while Liberty scored 13 and 24 before its Ball State breakout. A game played primarily in the 20s would keep this comfortably below the target. If the market opens significantly below 55, the value becomes much thinner.
Final Picks: Liberty Moneyline and Under 55.5 or Higher