East Carolina vs. App State Pick: Can the Pirates Keep Rolling in Week 3?

Appalachian State Mountaineers (1-1 SU, ATS 0-1) vs East Carolina Pirates (2-0 SU, ATS 1-0)
Date: 4:00 EST Saturday, September 14th
Location: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenville, NC
TV: ESNU
Point Spread: ASU -2.5/ECU +2.5
Money Line: ASU -135/ECU +112
Over/Under: 58.5

Appalachian State is the slight -2.5-point favorite on the road as they head to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville to take on the East Carolina Pirates. Kickoff is set for 4:00 ET on Saturday, September 14th. The game will be broadcast on ESNU, and the over/under line is currently at 58.5 points. The Mountaineers are 1-1 on the season, while the Pirates are 2-0.

Head-to-Head Matchup:

The Appalachian State Mountaineers and East Carolina Pirates did not have any head-to-head matchups last season. But over the last three times playing each other, the Appalachian State Mountaineers have a record of 2-1. The Appalachian State Mountaineers also had the edge vs. the spread in these games, at 2-1. These games averaged a combined total of 52 points per game leading to an over/under record of 1-2.

Appalachian State Mountaineers Recent Form:

Appalachian State is looking to bounce back after a 66-20 loss to Clemson on the road. This game was expected to be a bit closer, with the Mountaineers being +17 point underdogs, but they ended up losing by 46 points. The over/under line was set at 52.5 points, and the teams combined for 86 points, surpassing the total.

The Mountaineers fell behind 35-0 in the first quarter, but they managed to put up 13 points in the second quarter. At halftime, the score was 56-13, and the game ended with a 66-20 score, dropping Appalachian State’s record to 1-1 for the season.

Appalachian State’s offense, led by quarterback Joey Aguilar, put up 363 total yards in their most recent game. Despite being on the road against Clemson, the Mountaineers managed to pick up 24 first downs. Their ground game was effective, averaging 5.5 yards per carry, and they finished with 149 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Aguilar completed 18 of 41 passes for 214 yards and one touchdown. He also threw two interceptions and ended the game with a passer rating of 68.55. Kaedin Robinson was his top target, hauling in three receptions for 58 yards.

Appalachian State’s defense will be looking for a major turnaround after allowing 712 total yards and 66 points to Clemson. The Tigers ran for 252 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, while their passing attack carved up the Mountaineers for 460 yards and five scores through the air. Appalachian State’s defense struggled to get off the field, allowing 28 first downs and 66 points.

Away Injury Report

No Injuries Reported

East Carolina Pirates Recent Form:

East Carolina’s record now stands at 2-0 after they pulled off a road upset over Old Dominion. The Pirates, who were +1.5 point underdogs, not only won the game but also covered the spread. This was a big win for East Carolina, as Old Dominion was favored in this matchup. The over/under line was set at 53.5 points, but the final combined score was 34 points, resulting in the under hitting.

East Carolina took an early 6-0 lead, and after Old Dominion went ahead 7-6, the Pirates regained the lead before halftime, making it 17-14. East Carolina added a field goal in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

Quarterback Jake Garcia, who threw for 283 yards, led East Carolina’s offense in their 20-14 win over Old Dominion. Despite not throwing any touchdowns, Garcia completed 65.8% of his passes. However, he did throw four interceptions, resulting in a passer rating of 48.36.

The Pirates’ offense generated 466 total yards, with 183 yards coming on the ground. Rahjai Harris was the leading rusher, gaining 131 yards on 26 carries and scoring two rushing touchdowns. Anthony Smith led the receiving corps with five receptions for 70 yards.

East Carolina’s defense allowed 287 total yards in their most recent game, with 192 yards coming through the air on 20 completions. The Pirates’ secondary did manage to pick off one pass, but they gave up a touchdown. On the ground, East Carolina’s defense held Old Dominion to just 95 yards rushing, with 17 first downs allowed in the game.

Home Injury Report

No Injuries Reported

Betting Trends

• Through their last ten road contests, the Appalachian State Mountaineers offense has averaged 29 points per game while allowing an average of 36. Appalachian State posted an overall record of 3-7 while going 3-6-1 ATS.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, East Carolina has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 17 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
• As the betting underdog, the East Carolina Pirates have an ATS mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. East Carolina posted a straight up mark of 2-8 in these matchups.
• Although the Appalachian State Mountaineers have a strong straight up record in their last five games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the spread going 2-3.

Free Pick

Even though Appalachian State has one of the worst defensive groups in college football this year, they are still favored by -2.5 points over East Carolina in week three. I don’t see the home-field advantage being able to cover up the Mountaineer’s defensive woes, and I like East Carolina in this one. Not only do I like them to cover, but I could see them pulling out a win straight-up. And with the money line odds sitting at +112, that’s the way I’m playing this matchup.