East Carolina Pirates vs Florida Atlantic Owls Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Florida Atlantic vs East Carolina NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Greenville.

Florida Atlantic vs East Carolina Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Owls versus the Pirates? Tip off is at at 1:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN2. The game will be played at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, NC. In this American Athletic matchup, Florida Atlantic is favored bt -2.5 vs. East Carolina. The over/under for the game is 150.5 points.

Florida Atlantic vs. East Carolina Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Florida Atlantic Owls at East Carolina Pirates
Where: Greenville at Minges Coliseum
Date: Sunday, January 5th
Betting Odds FLATL -2.5, FLATL -152 | ECAR +125 O/U 150.5

Owls Preview: Can the Owls Deliver Being Favored on the Road?

Florida Atlantic Owls Recent Game/Games

Florida Atlantic’s season record dropped to 6-7 after a 90-62 home loss to Memphis on Thursday. The Owls entered the game as +3.5 underdogs but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 152, falling short of the 163.5 O/U line.

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

Owls Offense Breakdown

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 31 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 35.3%, and they connected on 61.9% of their free throws, going 13 for 21.

Tyrese Hunter led the way with 20 points, shooting 57.1% overall and 66.7% from beyond the arc. The Owls managed 19 offensive rebounds and finished with just 7 assists as a team.

Owls Team Defense

Even though Florida Atlantic allowed 90 points, they managed to hold their opponent to just 32% shooting from the field, including a rough 16% from beyond the arc, where they hit only 5 of 31 attempts.

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

Pirates Preview: Does East Carolina Have What it Takes at Home?

East Carolina Pirates Recent Game/Games

East Carolina fell to 6-6 on the season after a 75-69 road loss to South Florida on Tuesday. The Pirates entered the game as +1.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game hit 144, just over the 143.5 O/U line.

ECU trailed 34-25 at halftime but put up a fight in the second half, scoring 44 points while allowing 41. Despite the strong finish, they couldn’t close the gap and secure the win.

Pirates Offense Breakdown

East Carolina struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 35.5% from the field and 15.8% from beyond the arc, hitting only 3 of 19 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 38.7%, but they did manage to convert 81.5% of their free throws, going 22 for 27 at the line.

Jordan Riley led the Pirates with 20 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 8 of 13 from the field. Kobe Knox was perfect from three-point range, hitting all 3 of his attempts and finishing with 18 points on 7 of 8 shooting overall. East Carolina also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and dished out 9 assists in the game.

Pirates Team Defense

East Carolina's defense gave up 75 points in their last game, with the opponent shooting 45% from the field. They allowed 19 two-point field goals on 37 attempts, a 51% conversion rate.

From beyond the arc, the opponent hit 7 of 20 threes, shooting 35%. East Carolina also sent the opponent to the line 20 times, where they made 16 free throws (80%). The Pirates gave up 8 offensive rebounds.

Owls vs Pirates Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five games away from home, the Owls have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 82 points per game in these contests.
Across the Pirates last five home games, the team averaged 68 points per game while allowing 75. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 1-4 straight-up.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Pirates have a straight up record of 2-3 and an ATS mark of 3-2.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the favorite, the Owls have a straight up record of 5-5. Their record vs the spread in these games was 4-5-1.