East Carolina Pirates vs UAB Blazers Betting Pick & Prediction 1/20/24

The Pirates and Blazers are set to face off at 3:00 ET on ESPN+. The Blazers will host the game at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, AL. The over/under goal line for this matchup is currently at 146.5 points, and the Blazers are favored to win at home against the Pirates.

EAST CAROLINA PIRATES VS UAB BLAZERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: East Carolina Pirates +5.5

This game will be played at Bartow Arena at 3:00 ET on Saturday, January 20th.

WHY BET THE EAST CAROLINA PIRATES:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 73-70 in favor of the Blazers.
• Even though we have UAB winning straight-up, we like East Carolina at +5.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 146.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 143 points.

Will the Pirates Secure A Victory as Road Underdogs?

After a tough 60-59 loss to North Texas, East Carolina enters today’s game with a 9-9 record. They have gone 2-3 in American Athletic Conference play, and they are just 1-3 on the road this season.

As the underdog, the Pirates have gone 2-6 this season. They have gone 3-7 in their last 10 road games, and they are currently on a two-game losing streak.

As the underdog, East Carolina has been solid vs. the spread this season, going 5-3. Their overall ATS record is 8-8-1, and they have gone 3-1 vs. the spread on the road this year. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Pirates have an impressive 7-3 mark vs. the spread.

East Carolina’s over/under record this season is 7-10, and today’s line of 146.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (142.2). So far, 12 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s line. In their last three games, the average scoring total is 130 points.

In their latest game, East Carolina offense put up 59 points against North Texas. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 41.7% and made 8 threes. Offensively, the Pirates have a season long field goal percentage of 43%, which is 273rd in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 339th in percentage and 282nd in three-pointers made.

At present, the Pirates’ defense is nationally ranked 103rd, allowing 69.1 points per game. In their previous game vs. North Texas, the Mean Green finished with a field goal percentage of 41% and a total of 60 points vs. East Carolina.

Will UAB Live Up to Expectations at Home?

UAB comes into this game with a record of 11-6 overall and 3-1 in American Athletic Conference play. The Blazers have been strong at home this season, going 7-3, and they have won four straight games at home.

For the season, UAB has been the favorite in 11 of its 17 games, going 7-4 in those contests. In their last game, the Blazers defeated Tulane by a score of 83-69.

As the favorite this season, UAB has gone just 2-8-1 against the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Blazers are just 2-7-1 vs. the spread.

So far this season, the over/under record for UAB games is 10-6 and the average scoring total in their games is 153.6 points. Today’s over/under line of 146.5 is lower than the average OU line in their games (149.5) and there have been more games with more points than today’s OU line (11) than games with less points (5). In their last three games, the OU record is 1-2 and over their last 10 games, the OU record is 6-3.

In their recent matchup, the UAB offense ended with 83 points against Tulane. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 48.6% and made 6 threes. Currently leading the team in scoring is Eric Gaines who comes into today’s matchup averaging 12.1. Yaxel Lendenborg also heads into the game with a PPG average of 11.9.

The Blazers’ defense is presently ranked 246th nationally, allowing an average of 75.8 points per contest. Against Tulane in their most recent game, the UAB defense gave up a total of 69 points while allowing Tulane to hit 48% of their shots.