Tulane has turned itself into one of the model programs in the Group of 5.
The Green Wave have gone 32-10 over the last three seasons, and currently sit at 4-1 in 2025, with two of their wins coming against Power 4 programs (Northwestern, Duke).
East Carolina has shown signs of pushing towards the level of Tulane in recent seasons, but the Pirates have yet to put it all together.
That’s held true in 2025, as ECU checks into this game at 3-2 with wins against Campbell, Coastal Carolina, and Army, and losses to NC State and BYU.
The Pirates and Green Wave will put their 1-0 records in AAC play on the line at Yulman Stadium on Thursday night.
The Green Wave is a 6.5-point favorite over the Pirates for this conference clash.
ECU vs. Tulane odds, prediction
This is a pretty intriguing game to handicap because the numbers would suggest that these two teams are pretty close to one another. In fact, Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings have ECU ranked a smidge higher than Tulane.
The numbers back that up.
ECU boasts a slightly better net yards per play (Yards Per Play – Opp. Yards Per Play), and the Pirates’ shouldn’t have too many issues with this stylistic matchup.
The Green Wave wants to pound the rock and work off an effective rushing game, but ECU’s run defense grades out decently, especially when compared to its peers in the Group of 5.
This all tells me that this price is being impacted by the perception, pedigree, and reputation of these two programs.
Betting on College Football?
Tulane is a known commodity at this point, a well-oiled machine in the Group of 5, while ECU has yet to really establish itself as a standout outfit.
This number looks quite inflated, and I would not be afraid to back the Pirates to pull the upset and hand Tulane a loss in New Orleans.
The Play: ECU +6.5 (+102, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
