Army Black Knights at East Carolina Pirates odds, picks and predictions

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

The Army Black Knights (1-2, 0-1 American) and the East Carolina Pirates (2-2, 0-0) meet Thursday at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NCAA football odds around the Army vs. East Carolina odds and make our expert college football picks and predictions for the best bets.

The Black Knights have already played a game inside the American Conference (formerly known as the AAC), and Army suffered a 45-38 loss in overtime against North Texas Saturday at Michie Stadium in West Point. It was Army's second loss in OT at home, as it also lost to Tarleton State of the FCS, 30-27, in the opener Aug. 29.

Army's only previous success came on the road, winning 24-21 as a 17-point underdog Sept. 6 as the Under (48) cashed. The Black Knights have diversified their offense a little bit, going for 109.0 passing yards per game. That's not much, but it's a bit of a bump from years past when it was all run, all the time. They're still good for 301.3 rushing yards per game and 410.3 total yards per contest. QB Dewayne Coleman has 217 rushing yards and 2 TDs, while RB Hayden Reed is good for 211 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. QB Cale Hellums has managed 184 yards and 3 TDs, too.

The Army defense has struggled, allowing 165.0 yards per game and 4.9 yards per attempt. It is allowing 32.0 points per game, too, good for 116th in the nation.

East Carolina is looking to rebound after getting trucked 34-13 by BYU Saturday as a 6.5-point underdog at home as the Under (50.5) cashed. That snapped a meager 2-game win streak and a 3-0 against-the-spread (ATS) run to open the season. The Under is 3-1 for ECU this season.

ECU QB Katin Houser threw for 285 yards with no TDs and 2 INTs against BYU last week, while WR Yannick Smith was his primary target, catching 9 passes for 146 yards on 11 targets.

- Rankings: US LBM Coaches Poll, conducted by the American Football Coaches Association and USA TODAY Sports

Army at East Carolina odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:05 a.m. ET.

* Moneyline (ML): Army +155 (bet $100 to win $155) | East Carolina -190 (bet $190 to win $100)

* Against the spread: Army +4.5 (-115) | East Carolina -4.5 (-105)

* Over/Under (O/U): 52.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)

Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now!

Army at East Carolina picks and predictions

Prediction

Army 27, East Carolina 24

Moneyline

ARMY (+155) is a strong play as a moderate underdog in this standalone game Thursday night.

East Carolina gets a game under the lights at the Rowdy Dowdy, and the Pirates plan to offer no quarter to the Black Knights. However, ECU really struggled to stop the run last week against BYU, allowing 172 yards on 34 carries, and that's bad news with the Black Knights rumbling into town.

Army has been trying to mix the pass in more, playing 21st-century football, but its strength is still on the ground.

Against the spread

ARMY +4.5 (-115) is worth playing with the points if you are a bit on the conservative side and need a bit of insurance.

East Carolina failed to cover at home in its only game against an FBS opponent, while Army won outright as an underdog on the road at K-State.

Stream live college football games and full replays: Get ESPN+!

Over/Under

UNDER 52.5 (-105) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at most.

The Under has cashed in 3 of 4 games for the Pirates, including 3-0 against FBS opponents this season.

For Army, again, its strength is running the ball. Running keeps the clock moving, which is normally favorable for the Under. However, the Over is 2-1 for Army to date. Of course, the 2 Over results were OT losses at home. The Under cashed in the team's only previous road game.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:

Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting