East Carolina Pirates vs Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs Matchup

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

Gardner-Webb vs East Carolina Prediction

Looking to win big? The Runnin' Bulldogs and Pirates face off at 3:00 ET on ESPN+. The Pirates are hosting the game at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, NC. The odds for this non-conference game currently have East Carolina as the -9.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 144.5 points.

Gardner-Webb vs. East Carolina Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs at East Carolina Pirates
Where: Greenville at Minges Coliseum
Date: Saturday, December 21st
Betting Odds ECAR -9.5, GARDWB +337 | ECAR -454 O/U 144.5

Runnin' Bulldogs Preview: Does Gardner-Webb Have a Shot at a Road Win?

Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs Recent Game/Games

The Runnin' Bulldogs dropped to 4-8 on the season after an 86-81 loss to Georgia Southern on Tuesday. Gardner-Webb, who went into the game as +3.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points reached 167, surpassing the O/U line of 151.5.

Gardner-Webb led 41-31 at halftime but struggled defensively in the 2nd half, allowing 55 points while scoring 40. This inability to maintain their defensive intensity cost them the game.

Runnin' Bulldogs Offense Breakdown

Gardner-Webb put up 81 points in their latest game, shooting 50% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 55.6%, and they hit 88% of their free throws, going 22-for-25 from the line.

Bradley Douglas led the way with 31 points, despite shooting just 34.6% overall and 22.2% from deep. Pharrell Boyogueno was efficient, hitting 71.4% of his shots and 60% from three, finishing with 17 points and 8 rebounds.

Runnin' Bulldogs Team Defense

Despite Gardner-Webb's defensive efforts, they allowed 86 points in their last game. The opposing team shot 37% from the field, hitting 27 of their 72 attempts. Inside the arc, they managed 18 two-point baskets on 44 tries, a 40% success rate.

From beyond the arc, Gardner-Webb's defense gave up 9 threes on 28 attempts, with the opposing team shooting 32%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 29 times, where they converted 23, good for 79%. Gardner-Webb allowed 19 offensive rebounds.

Pirates Preview: Do the Pirates Have a Shot at a Home Win?

East Carolina Pirates Recent Game/Games

The Pirates improved to 6-4 this season with a 75-64 win over FIU on Tuesday, December 17th. Playing at home, they entered the game as -7.5 favorites and covered the spread with the win.

ECU led 35-29 at halftime and outscored FIU 40-35 in the 2nd half. The total points for the game were 139, just under the O/U line of 142.5.

Pirates Offense Breakdown

East Carolina put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 48.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 53.4%. They excelled inside, hitting 61.1% of their two-point attempts, while struggling from beyond the arc, connecting on just 27.3% of their threes (6/22). At the free-throw line, they were efficient, making 86.7% of their attempts (13/15).

C.J. Walker led the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 57.1% overall. Jayden Brewer added 20 points, shooting 60.0%, and Jordan Riley contributed 16 points. Jonathan Aybar also scored 16, hitting 3 of 5 from deep, while Yann Farell chipped in 14 points, shooting 62.5% from the field.

Pirates Team Defense

Despite East Carolina's defensive efforts, they gave up 64 points while allowing their opponent to shoot 48% from the field. The Pirates struggled to contain two-point attempts, with their opponent hitting 61% of their shots inside the arc, going 22/36.

From beyond the arc, East Carolina held their opponent to 27% shooting, as they made just 6 of 22 three-point attempts. The Pirates also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 15 times, where they converted 13 free throws for 86%.

Runnin' Bulldogs vs Pirates Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past five road matchups, Gardner-Webb has an ATS record of 2-3 while averaging 74 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
Across the Pirates last three home games, the team averaged 66 points per game while allowing 73. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-2, while going 1-2 straight-up.
Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Runnin' Bulldogs have a straight up record of 3-7. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.
Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Pirates have a strong record of 3-2. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 2-3.