AAC foes square off Thursday when the SMU Mustangs visit the East Carolina Pirates. SMU is 3-2 overall with a 1-0 mark in conference play, while ECU has limped its way to a 1-4 start and is 0-1 in AAC play. Neither team has been a good one to back for bettors as they are both 1-3 against the spread versus FBS competition. East Carolina prevailed 52-38 when these last faced off in 2020.
Kickoff at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, N.C., is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. SportsLine consensus East Carolina vs. SMU odds list the Mustangs as 11-point favorites, which is up 2 points from the opening SMU vs. ECU line. The over/under for total points is 49.5. Before making any SMU vs. East Carolina picks, be sure to 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. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of more than $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on SMU vs. ECU and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for ECU vs. SMU:
- SMU vs. East Carolina spread: SMU -11
- SMU vs. East Carolina over/under: 49.5 points
- SMU vs. East Carolina money line: SMU -457, East Carolina +344
- SMU: The Mustangs have a plus-four turnover ratio
- ECU: The Pirates led the NCAA in fewest fumbles lost (2) and turnovers lost (7) in 2022
- SMU vs. East Carolina picks: See picks at SportsLine
- SMU vs. East Carolina live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why SMU can cover
SMU hasn't been covering at a high rate this season, but the Mustangs have found far more success overall compared to ECU. They've handled their three Group of Five/FCS opponents with relative ease. Their losses, meanwhile, came to defending national runner-up TCU and Oklahoma, a team now ranked No. 5 in the nation.
The Mustangs have few flaws overall as they rank second in the AAC in both scoring offense and defense. Quarterback Preston Stone has been the catalyst, throwing for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns. It's tough for defenses to dial in on one target in the SMU passing game since six different players have more than 140 receiving yards on the season. See which team to pick here.
Why East Carolina can cover
Senior wide receiver Jaylen Johnson leads the Pirates receiving corps with a team-high 20 receptions for 206 yards (10.3 average), including a long of 39 yards. Johnson's best game came against Gardner-Webb in a 44-0 win on Sept. 23, with six catches for 70 yards (11.7 average). He had four catches for 28 yards in the loss at Rice in Week 5. In his four-year career, including two seasons at Georgia, he has 51 receptions for 595 yards (11.7 average) and four touchdowns.
Defensively, junior linebacker Mike Edwards III is among the team leaders with 34 tackles, including 22 solo, with one sack for four yards. He had a season-high 13 tackles, including six solo, with one sack in a loss to Appalachian State on Sept. 16. He had eight stops, including seven solo, in the season-opening loss at No. 2 Michigan on Sept. 2. In his three-year career, including one at Georgia Southern, he has recorded 110 tackles, including 56 solo, with one pass breakup and one sack. See which team to pick here.
How to make SMU vs. East Carolina picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 61 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread has all of the value. You can only get the model's pick and analysis at SportsLine.
So who wins SMU vs. East Carolina, and which side of the spread has all of the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the SMU vs. East Carolina spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that finished up more than $2,000 on its FBS college football picks since its inception, and find out.
