11/7 College Football Preview: East Carolina -7.5 vs. Florida Atlantic, O/U 57.5
This American Conference matchup features East Carolina (4-4, 2-2) hosting Florida Atlantic (2-6, 0-4), with intriguing storylines on both sides. The ECU Pirates recently parted ways with head coach Mike Houston on October 20 after a string of disappointing performances, including defensive lapses that saw them surrender 55 points to Charlotte and 45 to Army. Interim head coach Blake Harrell took over and led the Pirates to a win over Temple, although Temple still managed to score 34 points.
ECU’s offense has shown some life with a recent switch to quarterback Katin Houser, who has added a spark by accelerating the pace to 15-20 seconds between plays. This faster tempo has helped the Pirates score 56, 28, and 24 points in recent games but has also exposed their defense, allowing opponents to keep pace on the scoreboard.
On the other side, FAU has struggled defensively, conceding 44, 38, 41, and 48 points in their last four FBS matchups. Even modest offenses like UTSA and UConn put up 38 and 48 points against them. Despite the losing 2 of their last 3, FAU’s offense has shown signs of life, scoring 21, 24, and 37 points in their last three games. With ECU’s defense ranked outside the top 100, the Owls should have ample scoring opportunities.
ECU is at home and been off 12 days,while FAU is traveling on a short week. I would give an edge to ECU but the backdoor potential of FAU is evident in this match up. The total looks more appealing.The recent high-scoring trends for both teams stand out: FAU’s last three games hit totals of 65, 62, and 78, while ECU’s last three games reached 90, 73, and 79. This points to a high-scoring affair that could easily surpass the total of 57.5.
Strong Lean: Florida Atlantic/East Carolina OVER 57.5