East Carolina Pirates vs Memphis Tigers Matchup

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

East Carolina vs Memphis Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Pirates and Tigers. The game is starting at 2:00 ET on ESPN+, and it's hosted by the Tigers at FedExForum in Memphis, TN. Get ready to place your bets! The odds for this American Athletic conference game currently have Memphis as the -14.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 148.5 points.

East Carolina vs. Memphis Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: East Carolina Pirates at Memphis Tigers
Where: Memphis at FedExForum
Date: Saturday, January 11th
Betting Odds MPHS -14.5, ECAR +700 | MPHS -1100 O/U 148.5

Pirates Preview: Will East Carolina Be The Talk of FedExForum?

East Carolina Pirates Recent Game/Games

East Carolina evened their season record at 7-7 with a narrow 80-79 win over Temple on Wednesday. The Pirates were favored by 3.5 points at home but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 159 exceeded the over/under line of 145.5.

After trailing 41-32 at halftime, East Carolina turned things around by scoring 48 points in the second half while holding Temple to 38. The Pirates’ strong second-half performance was key to their victory.

Pirates Offense Breakdown

East Carolina put up 80 points in their recent game, shooting 44.8% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 47.8%, with a strong 53.2% shooting inside the arc. The Pirates also connected on 77.3% of their free throws, going 17-for-22 from the line.

RJ Felton led the way with 23 points and 12 rebounds, despite shooting 38.1% from the field and 20% from three. Jamal Mashburn Jr. added 22 points, hitting 50% of his threes, while C.J. Walker contributed 18 points and 9 rebounds. Quante Berry knocked down 3 of 4 from deep, finishing with 13 points and 4 assists.

Pirates Team Defense

East Carolina's defense gave up 79 points in their last game, with their opponents shooting 44% from the field on 30 of 67 attempts. Inside the arc, the Pirates allowed 25 two-point baskets on 47 attempts, a 53% shooting rate.

From three-point range, East Carolina held their opponents to 25% shooting, with just 5 made threes on 20 attempts. However, the Pirates sent them to the free-throw line 22 times, where they converted 17 for 77%. East Carolina also gave up 16 offensive rebounds.

Tigers Preview: Do the Tigers Have What it Takes at Home?

Memphis improved to 12-3 this season with a 68-64 win over North Texas on Sunday. The Tigers were at home and entered the game as -7.5 favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 132, falling short of the O/U line of 136.5.

Memphis led 33-32 at halftime and outscored North Texas 35-32 in the second half to secure the win.

Tigers Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Memphis put up 68 points, shooting 54.5% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 59.1%. They connected on 61.3% of their two-point attempts and hit 38.5% from beyond the arc, making 5 of 13 threes. At the free-throw line, they shot 71.4%, converting 15 of 21 attempts.

PJ Haggerty led the way with 27 points, shooting 11 of 14 overall and 3 of 3 from three-point range. Memphis finished with just 7 assists and 4 offensive rebounds, with Jasper Floyd contributing 6 assists and hitting 5 of 8 shots, including 1 of 1 from deep.

Tigers Team Defense

Even though Memphis gave up 64 points, they allowed their opponent to shoot 54% from the field. The Tigers struggled to defend inside, where they gave up 61% shooting on two-point attempts, with the other team making 19 of 31 shots.

From beyond the arc, Memphis allowed 5 three-pointers on 13 attempts, a 38% shooting rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 15 free throws for 71%. The Tigers limited second-chance opportunities, giving up just 4 offensive rebounds.

Pirates vs Tigers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their five previous road games, East Carolina has an ATS mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-4 while averaging 68 points per game.
Memphis has played well in their previous five home games, going 4-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 77 points per game while allowing 71. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
Through their last five games as the betting underdog, the Pirates have a strong record vs the spread going 3-1-1. Their straight up mark in these contests is 2-3.
Through their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Tigers have a good straight up record, but their ATS mark is just 2-3.