This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
Birmingham Bowl Betting Preview for East Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina
The Carolinas are represented with gusto Tuesday in the Birmingham Bowl. Coastal Carolina has been a darling of college football the last couple of years, the teal field certainly helped, but can they beat East Carolina in this one? To do so, the Chanticleers will really need to turn things around.
Coastal Carolina vs. East Carolina Odds for the Birmingham Bowl
Spread: East Carolina -7.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Total: 64.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Moneyline: East Carolina -280, Coastal Carolina +225 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
The Chanticleers were 9-3 this year and played in the Sun Belt title game. Meanwhile, the Pirates were 7-5. So why is East Carolina more than a touchdown favorite? Well, let's get into that.
Coastal Carolina vs. East Carolina Betting Picks This Week
The Chanticleers' rise was powered by two people: Head coach Jamey Caldwell and quarterback Greyson McCall. Then, McCall got hurt, and then Coastal Carolina lost 47-7 to James Madison and 45-26 to Troy. Yeah, that's rough, and it's not all about the offense, clearly. McCall wasn't going to stop the defense from giving up 40 and change.
Well, McCall is back, but he has one foot out the door. He's already announced his intention to enter the transfer portal after the bowl. Caldwell, meanwhile, has taken the Liberty job. East Carolina is actually ahead of Coastal Carolina in the SP+ rankings, as it is 68th while Coastal is 72nd. If I felt like McCall would be firing on all cylinders, I'd definitely take the over. I'd still take it, but not confidently. The Pirates' offense, powered by Kolton Ahlers and Keaton Mitchell, is intact, and against that struggling Coastal defense, I like them winning against a frazzled program.
Coastal Carolina vs. East Carolina Best Bet: East Carolina -7.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook
Birmingham Bowl Prediction
James Madison and Troy are good teams, but they are teams powered by defense, not offense. East Carolina is an offensively-minded squad. I expect the Pirates to score plenty of points, and I could see the Chanticleers getting demoralized awfully fast. Will this be a third game in a row where Coastal allows over 40 points? I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case.
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