Thursday night brings all-AAC action to the Week 7 college football slate as the 3-2 SMU Mustangs travel to Greenview to take on the 1-4 East Carolina Pirates.
Who emerges victorious? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and an East Carolina vs. SMU prediction.
East Carolina vs. SMU Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. Want to take advantage of the East Carolina vs. SMU odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
SMU -12.5 - Moneyline
SMU -440, East Carolina +340 - Over/Under
49.5 points - Game time
7:30 p.m. ET - Location
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Greenview, NC - Predicted Weather at Kick
60 degrees, 3-5 mph winds, cloudy - How to Watch
FuboTV, ESPN
Looking to the Mustangs to make you some money this Thursday night? Can the Pirates plunder the oddsmaker and secure a tidy return on investment? If you’re going to take advantage of the East Carolina vs. SMU odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
SMU came into the game as a sizeable favorite, and they’ve yet to lose this year when entering the game in that position. Meanwhile, East Carolina hasn’t won as an underdog and is yet to win against FBS opposition that includes two Sun Belt programs and an AAC opening defeat to Rice. Pony up and take the moneyline on the Mustangs without delay.
The line itself won’t make you much of a return, so do any other East Carolina vs. SMU odds offer confidence? There’s a substantial line to cover for Rhett Lashlee’s team, but they’re 2-1 when a double-digit favorite, and each of their wins has come by more than the 12.5-point spread. East Carolina is 1-3, covering the spread as an underdog.
To finish off, the over/under is probably the riskiest bet from the East Carolina vs. SMU prediction.
These games are historically high-scoring. All bar two of their nine encounters totaled more than the 49.5-point line. However, East Carolina’s offense is not what it has been in recent years, and SMU has a defense that can limit their scoring opportunities. It’s a cautious under for us.
Top DFS and Fantasy Plays
All values below come from FanDuel’s multi-team entries for Friday night. Looking to sign up for FanDuel? New customers bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets guaranteed. Click here for more details.
For each team’s starting 22 on their depth charts:
East Carolina Depth Chart | SMU Depth Chart
- QB Preston Stone, SMU ($10,500)
- QB Alex Flinn, East Carolina ($7,000)
- QB Mason Garcia, East Carolina ($7,000)
- RB Camar Wheaton, SMU ($9,500)
- RB Jaylan Knighton, SMU ($9,000)
- RB LJ Johnson Jr., SMU ($7,500)
- RB Rahjai Harris, East Carolina ($6,400)
- RB Velton Gardner, SMU ($6,000)
- RB Javious Bond, East Carolina ($5,500)
- RB Tyler Lavine, SMU ($4,900)
- RB Marlon Gunn, East Carolina ($4,500)
- WR Jordan Hudson, SMU ($7,500)
- WR Jake Bailey, SMU ($7,200)
- WR Roderick Daniels Jr., SMU ($6,900)
- WR Kelvontay “Moochie” Dixon, SMU ($6,500)
- WR Chase Sowell, East Carolina ($6,300)
- WR Jsi Hatfield, East Carolina ($5,800)
- WR Jaylen Johnson, East Carolina ($5,500)
- WR Jordan Kerley, SMU ($5,400)
- WR Key’Shawn Smith, SMU ($5,300)
- WR Jhai Patterson, East Carolina ($5,200)
- WR Romello Brinson, SMU ($4,900)
- TE RJ Maryland, SMU ($7,800)
- TE Shane Calhoun, East Carolina ($5,300)
There are two college football games on Thursday to compile your DFS team from in Week 7.
If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “superflex” that can be any of the above. Or you can also select a tight end for the Superflex spot.
Starting at the quarterback spot for your East Carolina vs. SMU picks, Mustangs passer Preston Stone is a legitimate option. While Houston’s Donovan Smith is in action tonight and has scored more fantasy points through Week 6, his matchup with a strong West Virginia defense is nowhere near as favorable.
Stone should add to his current 94.44 fantasy points haul.
At running back, West Virginia’s CJ Donaldson is likely to be a lock for one of your two spots. Is there anyone in this East Carolina vs. SMU game to consider?
Rahjai Harris is the top-scoring fantasy back on the field, and given he’s the power behind the Pirates offense — such as it is — he should be worth a shot. The ECU rush defense might stifle the Mustangs’ ground game.
Wide receiver is a difficult position, particularly in this game. East Carolina has just two receiving touchdowns all season, and one of them was to running back Harris. Meanwhile, SMU has a deep rotation and on any given Saturday — or Thursday, in this case — any of them could haul in a touchdown grab.
Tight end RJ Maryland is consistent and could be a superflex consideration.
Prediction for East Carolina vs. SMU
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with East Carolina vs. SMU odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction. Can Mike Houston’s Pirates team get their first FBS win of the season on Thursday night? Or will the Mustangs simply trample all over East Carolina as SMU seeks to mount an AAC title challenge?
Let’s start with East Carolina’s strengths and how they could cause an upset in a game where they’re a heavy underdog. The Pirates have been much better on defense than on offense this season, and that offers some hope for Houston’s team in this all-AAC matchup.
East Carolina has one of the stronger rush defenses in the conferences despite facing three teams with really strong ground games. The Pirates have allowed just 3.48 yards per carry, 121.0 yards per game, and eight rushing touchdowns so far this season — all ranking in the top five in the AAC. Keeping Knighton and co. in check could help the offense to grind out a result.
Yet, East Carolina’s offense has struggled to recover from substantial losses in the offseason and it’s difficult to see how they overcome an SMU defense that held a rampant Oklahoma offense to “just” 28 points.
Meanwhile, the combination of QB Stone, a strong and deep ground game and WR rotation, plus TE Maryland, is likely too much for the Pirates to handle. SMU wins.
Prediction: East Carolina 17, SMU 31