Tulsa vs. East Carolina prediction, odds, line, time: 2025 college football Week 8 picks by proven model

Teams looking to get back on track meet when the Tulsa Golden Hurricane battle the East Carolina Pirates in American Conference action on Thursday night. Tulsa is coming off a 45-7 loss at Memphis on Oct. 4, while East Carolina dropped a 26-19 decision at Tulane on Oct. 9. The Golden Hurricane (2-4, 0-3 American), who have lost two in a row, are 1-2 on the road this season. The Pirates (3-3, 1-1 American), who are tied for seventh in the conference, are 2-1 on their home field. The Under is a combined 10-2 for the teams this season.

Kickoff from Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, N.C., is at 7:30 p.m. ET. The all-time series is tied 9-9, with East Carolina earning a 38-31 win last season. The Pirates are 16.5-point favorites in the latest Tulsa vs. East Carolina odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 54.5 via SportsLine consensus. ECU is at -826 on the money line (risk $826 to win $100). Before making any East Carolina vs. Tulsa picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model. 

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The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and is a profitable 39-27 combined on money-line and over/under college football picks since the beginning of 2024. Anybody following its college football betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Tulsa vs. East Carolina. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the FBS college football odds and trends for East Carolina vs. Tulsa:

Why East Carolina can cover

Senior quarterback Katin Houser helps power the Pirates' offense. In six games, he has completed 142 of 210 passes (67.6%) for 1,689 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions. He has also rushed for three scores. In a 28-6 win over Army on Sept. 26, he completed 15 of 22 passes (68.2%) for 251 yards for two touchdowns and one interception.

Houser's top target is sixth-year senior wide receiver Anthony Smith. For the season, he has 30 receptions for 406 yards (13.5 average) and one touchdown. In a 38-0 win over Coastal Carolina on Sept. 13, he caught 11 passes for 136 yards, including a long of 31. He had three catches for 87 yards and one touchdown in the win over Army. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

Why Tulsa can cover

Redshirt sophomore Kirk Francis has taken over at quarterback. In three games this season, he has completed 53 of 88 passes (60.2%) for 493 yards and three touchdowns with four interceptions. In a 35-7 win over Abilene Christian on Aug. 30, he completed 20 of 31 passes (64.5%) for 218 yards and two touchdowns. In last week's loss to Memphis, he completed 20 of 34 passes (58.8%) for 175 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions.

Powering the rushing attack is sixth-year senior running back Dominic Richardson, who is in his first year with the program after spending two years at Baylor and three at Oklahoma State. In six games, he has carried 112 times for 538 yards (4.8 average) and two touchdowns. He also has 13 receptions for 78 yards, including a long of 20. In a 19-12 win over Oklahoma State on Sept. 19, he carried 31 times for 146 yards, including a long of 39. See which team to back at SportsLine.

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How to make Tulsa vs. East Carolina picks

SportsLine's model is going Under on the total, projecting 48 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Tulsa vs. East Carolina, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Tulsa vs. East Carolina spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that finished up over $2,000 on its FBS college football picks since its inception, and find out.