East Carolina Pirates vs Liberty Flames Betting Pick & Prediction 9/21/24
ESPN+ will be covering this week four non-conference matchup between the East Carolina Pirates and the Liberty Flames. Liberty comes in at 3-0, while East Carolina has a 2-1 record. The game is set for 6:00 ET from Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, VA. Liberty is -7 point favorites, and the over/under line is currently at 53.5 points.
EAST CAROLINA PIRATES VS LIBERTY FLAMES BETTING PICK
The Pick: East Carolina Pirates +7
This game will be played at Williams Stadium (VA) at 6:00 ET on Saturday, September 21st.
WHY BET THE EAST CAROLINA PIRATES:
- We have the Liberty Flames winning this one by a score of 32 to 29
- Even though we like the Liberty Flames to win, our ATS pick is to take the East Carolina Pirates at +7
- Look for this game to go over the line of 53.5 points
Will The East Carolina Pirates Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs
East Carolina is looking to bounce back after a 21-19 loss to Appalachian State. The Pirates, who were +1 point underdogs, not only fell short of an outright win but also failed to cover the spread. The over/under line for the game was 58.5 points, but the final score totaled just 40 points, resulting in an under. This was East Carolina’s first loss of the season, and they are now 2-1.
East Carolina fell behind early, with Appalachian State taking a 16-0 lead. The Pirates managed to close the gap to 16-14 by halftime, and they took a 16-14 lead in the third quarter. However, Appalachian State scored early in the fourth quarter, and East Carolina was only able to add a field goal, resulting in the 21-19 defeat.
East Carolina’s offense, led by quarterback Jake Garcia, put up 324 yards in their 21-19 loss to Appalachian State. Garcia completed 64.3% of his passes for 226 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, earning a passer rating of 86.31. Winston Wright Jr. was his top target, catching three passes for 72 yards.
The Pirates’ offense moved the chains 16 times, but they struggled to establish the run, finishing with 98 yards on 30 carries. Rahjai Harris led the ground game with 87 yards on 18 attempts, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
East Carolina’s defense will be looking to tighten up after allowing 515 total yards in their last game. They gave up 424 yards through the air, but the silver lining is that they managed to intercept two passes. On the ground, the Pirates were more effective, holding Appalachian State to just 91 yards rushing. However, East Carolina’s defense will need to be more consistent in their pass coverage to be successful.
Are The Liberty Flames Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?
Liberty is now 3-0 after a 28-10 win over UTEP. Despite being -24 point favorites, the Flames were unable to cover the spread. The over/under line was set at 57.5 points, but the game finished with only 38 total points, resulting in an under.
Liberty led 7-3 after the first quarter and added another touchdown in the second quarter to go up 14-3. UTEP managed to score in the third quarter, but the Flames matched it to keep their lead at 11 points, and then added another touchdown in the fourth quarter to close out the game.
Quarterback Kaidon Salter led Liberty’s offense to a 28-10 win over UTEP, throwing for 228 yards and completing 78.9% of his passes. Salter connected with Treon Sibley, who led the receiving corps with four catches for 77 yards.
On the ground, Billy Lucas was the standout performer, rushing for 104 yards on 21 carries. Lucas found the end zone three times, while the Flames’ rushing attack totaled 189 yards. Liberty’s offense finished with 417 yards of total offense and 19 first downs.
Liberty’s defense was effective in their most recent game, holding UTEP to just 10 points. They limited UTEP to 91 rushing yards on 30 attempts but struggled more against the pass, allowing 244 yards and one touchdown through the air. Despite these numbers, Liberty’s defense came up with two interceptions and held UTEP to 18 total first downs and 335 yards of total offense.