Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Rice vs East Carolina NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Greenville.
Rice vs East Carolina Prediction
Looking to win big? The Owls and Pirates face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Pirates are hosting the game at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, NC. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 137 points, and East Carolina is favored by -7.5 to win at home against Rice.
Rice vs. East Carolina Matchup At A Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Rice Owls at East Carolina Pirates
- Where: Greenville at Minges Coliseum
- Date: Wednesday, February 5th
- Betting Odds ECAR -7.5, RICE +260 | ECAR -325 O/U 137
Owls Preview: Do the Owls Have What it Takes in Greenville?
Rice Owls Recent Game/Games
Rice fell to 11-10 on the season after a narrow 86-83 loss to Memphis on Sunday. The Owls, who were +9.5 underdogs, kept the game closer than expected. The total points for the game reached 169, surpassing the O/U line of 146.5.
Rice trailed 44-39 at halftime but managed to outscore Memphis 44-42 in the second half. Despite the loss, the Owls showed resilience by covering the spread.
Owls Offense Breakdown
Rice put up 83 points in their last game, shooting 45.2% from the field and 40% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 53.2%, and they hit 77.3% of their free throws, going 17-for-22 from the line. The Owls also grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and dished out 16 assists.
PJ Haggerty led the way with 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, shooting 61.1% from the field. PJ Carter added 19 points, hitting 5 of 7 threes, while Tyrese Hunter also scored 19, shooting 63.6% overall and 50% from deep.
Owls Team Defense
Rice's defense gave up 86 points in their last game, with their opponents shooting 45% from the field. They allowed 28 made field goals on 62 attempts.
From beyond the arc, Rice's opponents shot 40%, hitting 10 of 25 threes. They also sent them to the line 22 times, where they made 17 free throws, a 77% rate.
Pirates Preview: Do the Pirates Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?
East Carolina Pirates Recent Game/Games
The Pirates fell to 10-10 on the season after a 98-94 road loss to Temple on Saturday. East Carolina entered the game as +3 underdogs and did not cover the spread.
ECU led 33-26 at halftime but allowed 50 points in the 2nd half while scoring 43 of their own. The game’s total points of 192 went well over the O/U line of 144.5.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
East Carolina put up 94 points in their last game, shooting 49.3% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 53.5%, with a strong 57.7% from two-point range, though they struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 26.3% on 5-of-19 shooting.
C.J. Walker led the way with 33 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 63.6% from the field. Jamal Mashburn Jr. added 32 points, hitting 66.7% from three, while Quante Berry contributed 21 points, shooting 66.7% overall and 50% from deep.
Pirates Team Defense
East Carolina's defense struggled, giving up 98 points while allowing their opponent to shoot 58% from the field. They couldn't contain the two-point shots, with the other team hitting 62% of their attempts (23/37).
The Pirates also allowed 50% shooting from beyond the arc, with 9 threes made on 18 attempts. From the free-throw line, their opponent went 25/32, shooting 78%. East Carolina did limit offensive rebounds, giving up just 2.
Owls vs Pirates Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis
- Across their last three road contests, Rice has a 2-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 0-3, while averaging 65 points per game.
- Across their last five home contests, East Carolina has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 2-3, while averaging 78 points per game.
- Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Owls have a straight up record of 3-7. But, their mark vs the spread was just 7-3.
- East Carolina has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three games.
Rice vs East Carolina Prediction & Free Pick
- KnupSports.com Free Betting Prediction: East Carolina -7.5 Be sure to check out our other NCAA Basketball betting previews for this week. KnupSports.com also updates their sports betting picks page daily with plays across all sports.