East Carolina (4-6) was found in the top 25 in the early parts of this season, but a series of losses have left the Pirates fighting for bowl eligibility. They travel to Orlando this week to face the feckless Knights of Central Florida (0-10), with a 15-point spread favoring the Pirate victory.
East Carolina vs UCF Game Preview and NCAAF Lines
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 19th, 7:30 PM
Location: Bright House Networks Stadium, Orlando, Florida
TV: ESPN
Game Odds: East Carolina -15
Radio: 107.9 WNCT
Audio: Pirates Gameday
It’s been a long season for UCF. They got off to an 0-8 start, and then-coach George O’Leary resigned, indicating that he is ready to retire at the age of 69. This is the same George O’Leary, you may recall, who was hired to coach the Notre Dame Fighting Irish but then dismissed because of some falsifications on his resume. O’Leary had been at UCF since 2004, enduring a winless first season and then turning things around so that the team put together four 10-win seasons and a BCS berth that included a Fiesta Bowl win.
It’s gameday #PirateNation! @ECUPiratesFB hosts South Florida at 7:30 PM on Military Appreciation Day. #ECUndaunted pic.twitter.com/3D6z5VtQqF
— ECU PIRATE CLUB (@ecupirateclub) November 7, 2015
East Carolina comes to town having dropped three of their last four games. Last week saw the Pirates on a bye. When East Carolina played lowly USF back on November 7, though, the offense cratered, gaining only 19 yards on the team’s last 11 plays from scrimmage and a mere 29 yards in the whole first half. The defense held things close, but then the USF Bulls heaved a 67-yard bomb for a touchdown with under five minutes left to win 22-17. This put ECU fifth in the American Athletic Conference’s East Division. The Pirates are in real danger of missing out on a bowl after going three years in a row.
Just because the Knights have not won does not mean that they have given up. However, quarterback Justin Holman, who was out a few weeks due to a hand injury, has taken a real step back this year after a solid 2014, when he had 23 touchdown passes against only 14 interceptions. This year he has tossed only six scores but has thrown 11 picks – all of them since he came back from a hand injury on October 10.
Betting Odds Trends
East Carolina Pirates
- East Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
- East Carolina is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of East Carolina’s last 5 games
- East Carolina is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
- East Carolina is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of East Carolina’s last 5 games on the road
- East Carolina is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Central Florida
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of East Carolina’s last 5 games when playing Central Florida
Central Florida Knights
- Central Florida is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games
- Central Florida is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Central Florida’s last 6 games
- Central Florida is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
- Central Florida is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games at home
- Central Florida is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Central Florida’s last 6 games at home
- Central Florida is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing East Carolina
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Central Florida’s last 5 games when playing East Carolina