East Carolina will be looking to get off to a good start as the 2025 college football season officially begins when they head to Raleigh to take on NC State. Interim coach Blake Harrell and the Pirates, who finished on a high note with a win in the Military Bowl to cap off a turbulent 2024 season, will hope to carry that momentum into 2025.
Meanwhile, The Wolfpack, are coming in under pressure to rebound, closing the season on a loss. Both teams seem to be eager to prove themselves in 2025 which sets an interesting storyline for the week 1 matchup.
East Carolina vs NC State: Players to Watch
East Carolina will turn to quarterback Katin Houser, who passed for more than 2,000 yards and made a key contribution against the Pirates in the Military Bowl. The star of the running game returns as well, with 2024 leading rusher Rahjai Harris back.
The Pirates’ defense, which has been hardened in the work of Mike Houston, is now under the leadership of an interim coach, Blake Harrell. Limiting the turnovers early in the season could be essential for the Pirates, as they led the FBS in turnovers during the first half of the season last year with 18.
At NC State, CJ Bailey will be in the spotlight after he was forced into QB action in the aftermath of Grayson McCall’s retirement last year. The Wolfpack has a veteran OC in Robert Anae, who has new weapons in transfer Hollywood Smothers and WR Noah Rogers, who should be sources of production in the receiving corps.
Odds and Betting Lines for East Carolina vs NC State
At the end of August, NC State is a heavy favorite. The Fox Sports Data Skrive model has NC State favored by 14 points over an over/under of 61.5 points. The moneyline projections also have the Cats scoring an 85 percent chance of victory.
At Action Network and OddsShark, the spread is the same as well, with ECU +14 and NC State -14, and the total is also set at around 61.5. The moneyline numbers approach -550 NC State and +420 ECU, which shows the betting edge of the Wolfpack.
Picks and Predictions for East Carolina vs NC State
ECU enters this game on a high from their upset against NC State in the Military Bowl, but this new chapter of the rivalry has plenty of question marks. NC State brings plenty of experience and roster depth to win this game, but covering 14 points is too much to ask for.
The way both defenses are going into this game, the over 61.5 also looks like a strong bet. Both teams have turnover potential, and this has devolved into a rivalry game over the last few years. With that being said, the best bet today will be to hit the total game under and expect chaos in Raleigh.
Best Bet: Under 61.5 points
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