The East Carolina Pirates (7-5) face off against the NC State Wolfpack (6-6) on Saturday, December 28th. This game will be played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis and televised on ESPN. NC State is coming off a win in their previous game, while East Carolina is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Navy. Kickoff is set for 5:45 ET.

East Carolina Pirates vs NC State Wolfpack

East Carolina Offense Breakdown

East Carolina’s offense is averaging 32.5 points per game, placing them 29th in the nation. They are 22nd in passing yards, with 273.8 yards per game, and they rank 37th in passing attempts. Katin Houser has thrown for 1,859 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 98.

Rahjai Harris leads the rushing attack with 946 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 5 yards per carry. Anthony Smith has 767 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 38 catches. Heading into week 1, East Carolina is ranked 107th in our offensive power rankings.

NC State Offense Breakdown

NC State’s offense ranks 87th in our CFB offensive power rankings heading into week 1. They averaged 29.2 points per game last season, placing them 44th nationally. Quarterback CJ Bailey threw for 2,182 yards, completing 64.1% of his passes, and the team ranks 27th in completion percentage. Bailey recorded 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, with a passer rating of 91.

NC State averaged 232.8 passing yards per game, ranking 61st, and they are 57th in passing attempts. On the ground, they averaged 141.9 rushing yards per game. Jordan Waters led the rushing attack with 445 yards and 4 touchdowns. KC Concepcion is the leading receiver, with 459 yards and six touchdowns on 53 receptions.

East Carolina Team Defense

East Carolina’s defense has struggled this season, allowing 34 points in their recent game against Navy. They gave up 299 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, while also allowing 165 passing yards, totaling 464 yards surrendered.

On average, the Pirates have allowed 27.8 points per game. Opponents have averaged 170.4 rushing yards per game on 41.1 attempts, while quarterbacks have posted a 59.3% completion rate and 235.8 passing yards per game against East Carolina’s defense.

East Carolina Team Defense

NC State’s defense has struggled this season, allowing 30.5 points per game, including 30 points in their recent matchup against North Carolina. They gave up 468 total yards, with 275 passing yards and three passing touchdowns.

Opponents have averaged 241.1 passing yards per game against NC State, ranking them 130th nationally. The defense has faced the 26th fewest rushing attempts in the country, allowing 145.8 rushing yards per game.

East Carolina vs NC State Trends

• Through their last five road games, East Carolina has an ATS record of just 2-3. However, their overall record was 2-3 while averaging 30 points per game.
• The NC State Wolfpack are 3-0 ATS in their last three home games and 2-1 straight-up.
• In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the East Carolina Pirates have a straight up record of 3-7 and an ATS mark of 6-4.
• Over the team’s last five games as the favorite, the NC State Wolfpack struggled vs the spread going just 1-4. However, they still had a straight up mark of 3-2.

Pirates vs Wolfpack Prediction

Our projections have NC State winning their week one matchup against East Carolina by a score of 28-24. With the spread at -5.5 points for NC State, we see East Carolina covering as the road underdog.

For the over/under, with the line set at 58.5 points, our recommendation is to take the under, as our model projects a combined 52 points.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.