East Carolina vs Tulane Picks and Predictions | Thursday College Football Picks October 9

Thursday’s East Carolina vs Tulane matchup will be the second American Conference game for both the Pirates and Green Wave. With both teams winning their conference opener and both coming off a bye week, which side is best to consider in New Orleans?

In this article, The GoldSheet breaks down the key insights analyzing the dynamics that shape this American Conference clash and what bettors should consider before placing their wagers.

East Carolina vs Tulane Betting Preview

Date and Time	October 9, 2025 at 7:30PM ET
Point Spread	Tulane -6.5
Total (Over/Under)	53.5
Location	Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, LA
TV	ESPN
Forecast	Warm and Clear

East Carolina vs Tulane Series History and Total Trends

Tulane has enjoyed the upper hand in this rivalry, winning five of the last six meetings between the two programs.

The most recent matchup came in November 2023, when the Green Wave edged ECU with a 13–10 road victory.

That low-scoring result reflected a larger trend between these teams: six of the last seven meetings have stayed under the total.

For bettors, this consistency in the under is more than just coincidence. The pattern suggests a history of defensive, grind-it-out football when these programs meet.

Both offenses have struggled to find explosive plays against one another, leading to point totals that consistently fall below expectations. In college football betting, such historical consistency can often be a valuable guide for approaching totals markets.

East Carolina Betting Profile

East Carolina enters this game with several noteworthy betting trends. The Pirates are 4–1 against the spread (ATS) this season, showing their ability to exceed market expectations.

Before their bye week, ECU put together one of their most complete performances of the year — a 28–6 home win over Army.

That dominant showing pushed their record above .500 and reinforced the team’s steady improvement since last November.

Perhaps the most striking trend for the Pirates, however, is their remarkable run of unders. Dating back to the end of last season, the under is 7–1 in ECU’s last eight games, with the only over coming against FCS-level Campbell.

That statistic highlights a defense-first identity that keeps games low-scoring and tightly contested. For totals bettors, this trend offers a strong data point: ECU’s defensive efficiency and methodical offensive style often limit possessions, suppress scoring, and make the under an attractive play.

From a spread perspective, ECU’s strong ATS performance reflects a team that has consistently outperformed expectations, particularly when undervalued by oddsmakers.

Their ability to cover spreads, especially as underdogs, has made them a reliable option for bettors looking for value on the points.

Tulane Betting Profile

For Tulane, the Green Wave return home after splitting consecutive road games — a loss at Ole Miss followed by a win at Tulsa.

Those back-to-back contests demonstrated both the team’s resilience and the variability in their performances away from home. Returning to New Orleans, Tulane looks to reassert its dominance against a familiar opponent in ECU.

The Green Wave’s recent success in this series is hard to ignore. Their five wins in six matchups against the Pirates reflect a program that has consistently executed better in key moments.

Despite some uneven results on the road, Tulane has shown an ability to rebound, particularly under current head coach Jon Sumrall.

Sumrall’s preparation is one of the central factors for bettors to consider this week. Coming off a bye, Tulane’s coaching staff is expected to deliver a strong game plan, a key angle for spread bettors who value teams that historically perform well after extended rest.

For many bettors, a disciplined, well-coached team coming off a bye represents a situational advantage that can justify a larger spread.

East Carolina ve Tulane Prediction: Tulane -6.5

From a betting perspective, this matchup offers two clear points of focus — the spread and the total.

On the spread, the analysis suggests that Tulane may be slightly undervalued. While East Carolina has performed admirably against the number this season, Tulane’s combination of coaching stability, bye-week preparation, and series dominance indicate that this line could reasonably sit closer to double digits.

Bettors considering the favorite will look to that coaching edge and historical consistency as reasons to expect separation on the scoreboard.

On the total, history and recent form both point in the same direction. With six of the last seven matchups going under, and ECU posting a 7–1 under record since November of last year, this game shapes up as another candidate for a lower-scoring outcome.

Bettors targeting totals will likely lean toward that defensive trend continuing, especially with both teams coming off rest and expected to execute disciplined game plans.

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WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the moneylines, point spreads, totals and betting percentages for all of the college football Week 7 games, including this East Carolina vs Tulane contest. Find free college football picks from season win total bets through National Championship futures on our free picks pages.

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