The East Carolina Pirates (7-5) and North Carolina State Wolfpack (6-6) will meet for the first time since 2022 when they square off in the 2024 Military Bowl on Saturday night. ECU won four of its final five games following an in-season coaching change, earning a postseason game against an in-state rival. NC State clinched bowl eligibility with a 35-30 win at North Carolina in its regular-season finale. The Wolfpack have won six of the last 10 meetings between these teams, including a 21-20 win in 2022.
Kickoff is set for 5:45 p.m. ET on Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. NC State is favored by 7 points in the latest NC State vs. East Carolina odds, while the over/under is 60.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any East Carolina vs. NC State picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.
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 it went a profitable 43-35 on all top-rated picks this season while also nailing all four first-round College Football Playoff winners. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen impressive returns.
The model has set its sights on East Carolina vs. North Carolina State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines for the game:
- North Carolina State vs. East Carolina spread: NC State -7
- North Carolina State vs. East Carolina over/under: 60.5 points
- North Carolina State vs. East Carolina money line: NC State -275, ECU +222
- North Carolina State vs. East Carolina picks: See picks here
- North Carolina State vs. East Carolina streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why North Carolina State can cover
NC State won three of its final five games during the regular season, with one of its losses coming by one point at Georgia Tech. The Wolfpack bounced back with a 35-30 win at North Carolina in their finale to clinch their bowl eligibility. Freshman quarterback CJ Bailey completed 14 of 20 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 59 yards.
Bailey has completed 64.1% of his passes for 2,183 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, averaging nearly 200 passing yards per game. Freshman running back Hollywood Smothers is coming off a two-touchdown outing in the win over the Tar Heels, going over 75 rushing yards for the third time in his last four games. The Wolfpack have covered the spread in four of their last five games, and East Carolina is 3-12 in its last 15 games against ACC opponents. See which team to pick here.
Why East Carolina can cover
East Carolina appeared to be headed toward a terrible campaign when it got off to a 3-4 start that resulted in head coach Mike Houston getting fired during his sixth season. Defensive coordinator Blake Harrell took over as the interim coach and engineered an outstanding turnaround, as the Pirates won four of their final five games to earn bowl eligibility. Harrell had his interim tag removed before the regular season ended.
This is East Carolina's second bowl trip in the past decade, winning its other appearance (2022 Birmingham Bowl). Quarterback Katin Houser has 1,859 passing yards and 18 touchdowns since replacing Jake Garcia under center. Wide receiver Chase Sowell entered the portal, but leading receiver Anthony Smith will play after catching 38 passes for 767 yards and six touchdowns. See which team to pick here.
How to make NC State vs. East Carolina picks
The model has simulated East Carolina vs. NC State 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins North Carolina State vs. East Carolina in the 2024 Military Bowl, and which side of the spread is the better value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up well over $2,000 on top-rated spread picks since its inception, and find out.
