Florida Atlantic Owls vs East Carolina Pirates NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/5/25

Planning on watching today’s Owls and Pirates game? Catch the action at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, NC, as the Pirates hosts this showdown at 1:00 ET on ESPN2. Florida Atlantic is favored by -2.5 in this American Athletic conference contest against East Carolina. The game’s over/under currently sits at 150.5 points.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS VS EAST CAROLINA PIRATES BETTING PICK

The Pick: East Carolina Pirates +2.5

This game will be played at Minges Coliseum at 1:00 ET on Sunday, January 5th.

WHY BET THE EAST CAROLINA PIRATES:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-67 in favor of the Pirates.
• Not only will East Carolina pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +2.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 150.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.

Can the Owls Grab a Win on the Road?

Florida Atlantic fell to 6-7 on the season after a 90-62 home loss to Memphis on Thursday. The Owls entered the game as +3.5 point underdogs but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 152, which was under the pre-game line of 163.5.

FAU trailed 42-32 at halftime and struggled in the second half, scoring just 30 points while allowing 48.

Florida Atlantic struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 32.4% from the field and 16.1% from three-point range, hitting only 5 of their 31 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 35.3%, and they managed to score 62 points overall.

Tyrese Hunter led the way with 20 points, shooting 57.1% from the field and 66.7% from beyond the arc. He also contributed 7 rebounds and 4 assists. The Owls grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and finished with just 7 assists as a team.

Despite giving up 90 points, Florida Atlantic’s defense held their opponent to just 32% shooting from the field, including 16% from beyond the arc, where they made only 5 of 31 attempts.

From the free-throw line, the opposing team shot 61%, hitting 13 of 21. Florida Atlantic also allowed 19 offensive rebounds in the game.

Is an Upset Waiting to Happen at Home?

East Carolina Pirates Recent Game/Games

East Carolina fell to 6-6 on the season after a 75-69 loss to South Florida on Tuesday. The Pirates, who were +1.5 point underdogs, didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 144 narrowly exceeded the O/U line of 143.5.

ECU trailed 34-25 at halftime but came out strong in the 2nd half, scoring 44 points. However, they allowed 41 points in the 2nd half, preventing a comeback.

East Carolina struggled from the field in their last game, shooting just 35.5% overall and 15.8% from three-point range, hitting only 3 of 19 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 38.7%, but they made up for it at the free-throw line, connecting on 22 of 27 attempts for 81.5%.

Jordan Riley led the Pirates with 20 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 8 of 13 from the field. Kobe Knox was perfect from beyond the arc, hitting all 3 of his attempts and finishing with 18 points on 7 of 8 shooting overall.

East Carolina’s defense gave up 75 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 45% from the field on 26 of 57 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 51% shooting, as the other team hit 19 of 37 two-point shots.

From three-point range, East Carolina’s defense saw the opposition make 7 of 20 attempts, good for 35%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 20 times, where they converted 16 free throws, shooting 80%. East Carolina gave up 8 offensive rebounds.