Teams looking to finish the regular season strong meet when the South Florida Bulls visit the East Carolina Pirates in American Athletic Conference action on Thursday night. The Bulls (2-5, 1-2), who snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday with a 34-14 win over Temple, have not had a winning record since the 2018 season. The Pirates (3-4, 1-2), who have lost two games in a row, are looking for their first winning season since 2014. East Carolina won last year’s meeting 44-24. South Florida leads the all-time series 9-2, including a 5-0 edge in games played at Greenville.
Kickoff from Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, N.C., is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. East Carolina is a 9.5-point favorite in the latest South Florida vs. East Carolina odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 56.5. Before making any East Carolina vs. South Florida picks, check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,900 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 9 of the 2021 season on a 26-11 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on South Florida vs. East Carolina and locked in its coveted picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for South Florida vs. East Carolina:
- USF vs. East Carolina spread: ECU -9.5
- USF vs. East Carolina over-under: 56.5 points
- USF vs. East Carolina money line: South Florida +310, East Carolina -400
- USF: The Bulls are 6-2 against the spread against a team with a losing record
- ECU: The Pirates are 5-0 ATS in their last five conference games
Featured Game | East Carolina Pirates vs. South Florida Bulls
Why East Carolina can cover
Quarterback Holton Ahlers is a huge part of the offense and leads the Pirates in passing, completing 144-of-239 passes (60.3 percent) for 1,763 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has been intercepted six times, but still has a quarterback rating of 131.0. He has also rushed for four scores. In last week’s overtime loss at Houston, Ahlers completed 23-of-37 passes (62.2 percent) for 278 yards and two touchdowns.
Making a good first impression this season is freshman running back Keaton Mitchell. Mitchell has been explosive, carrying 88 times for 677 yards (7.7 average) and four touchdowns. He has also caught 15 passes for 157 yards (10.5 average) and one TD. He had a monster game against Tulane on Oct. 2, rushing for 222 yards (14.8 average) and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
Why South Florida can cover
Despite that, the Pirates are not a lock to cover the East Carolina vs. USF spread. That’s because the Bulls have a talented stable of running backs, including junior Jaren Mangham, who leads the team in rushing. For the season, he has carried 96 times for 416 yards (4.3 average) and 12 touchdowns. In last week’s win over Temple, Mangham carried 26 times for 152 yards (5.8 average) and two touchdowns.
Also coming up big against Temple was junior running back Kelley Joiner, who carried 14 times for 126 yards (9.0 average) and a score. It was by far his best outing of the year. For the season, Joiner has rushed 36 times for 235 yards (6.5 average) and one touchdown.
How to make South Florida vs. East Carolina picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the point total, projecting 58 combined points. The model has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in nearly 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s East Carolina vs. South Florida picks at SportsLine.
So who wins South Florida vs. East Carolina? And which side of the spread cashes in nearly 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the East Carolina vs. USF spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
