East Carolina at SMU odds, picks and predictions

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The East Carolina Pirates (14-15, 7-9 American) and SMU Mustangs (19-10, 10-6) meet Wednesday at Moody Coliseum in Dallas. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the East Carolina vs. SMU odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.

The Pirates slipped under .500 with losses in each of the past 3 games, and East Carolina has failed to cover each of those outings, too. The Pirates are just 3-5 straight up (SU) in the past 8 games, while going just 5-8 against the spread (ATS) in the previous 13 contests.

The Under has cashed in 4 of the past 5 games for the Pirates, and the total has gone low in an amazing 18 of the past 22 outings.

East Carolina suffered a 75-64 loss against SMU in the 1st meeting at Minges Coliseum in Greenville on Jan. 3, as the Mustangs covered as a 4-point favorite with the Over (136.5) coming through.

SMU is in a little bit of a nosedive, too. The Mustangs went to FAU on Feb. 22 looking for its 20th win, and it remains stuck on 19 victories. SMU has lost and failed to cover the past 3 outings, while going just 3-8 ATS in the past 11 games. The Under has cashed in 3 in a row for the Mustangs.

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East Carolina at SMU odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:35 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): East Carolina +590 (bet $100 to win $590) | SMU -900 (bet $900 to win $100)
Against the spread: East Carolina +12.5 (-110) | SMU -12.5 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U): 141.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)

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East Carolina at SMU picks and predictions

Prediction

SMU 73, East Carolina 64

Moneyline

SMU (-900) will cost you nearly 10 times your potential return, and that’s way too much risk for a team coming in on a 3-game skid.

However, East Carolina (+590) also cannot be trusted for a potential upset bid, as the Pirates are sliding, too, and ECU suffered the 11-point loss at home to SMU in their 1st meeting.

PASS.

Against the spread

EAST CAROLINA +12.5 (-110) is a strong play catching double digits.

East Carolina has struggled lately, but it is 2-0 ATS this season as a double-digit underdog. It is 4-4 ATS in 8 road games inside the AAC this season, too.

For SMU -12.5 (-110), it has failed to cover the past 3 outings, and as a double-digit favorite the Mustangs lost outright as a 17-point favorite to UTSA last time out. SMU is 3-3-1 ATS in the past 7 games when favored by 10 or more points.

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Over/Under

UNDER 141.5 (-112) is a solid play, as both of these teams have been going low lately.

While the Over hit in the Jan. 3 meeting, a lot has changed since then. The Under is on a 3-0 run for SMU, with the offense averaging just 70.3 PPG, nearly 7 points under the team’s season average of 77.0 PPG.

For East Carolina, it has cashed the Under in 4 of the past 5 games, going for 58 or fewer points in 2 of the past 3 contests. The Pirates have been brutal on offense, going for just 68.8 PPG this season, while hitting 41.8% from the field, and 30.6% from behind the 3-point line. They’re also a poor free-throw shooting team at 69.1%, leaving a lot of points on the floor.

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