The East Carolina Pirates and Tulane Green Wave will meet in a Thursday night matchup in the American Athletic Conference. Both teams enter this game at 1-0 in AAC play and will try to stay perfect in conference action here. Before kickoff from New Orleans, continue reading to get my thoughts on this game, including my East Carolina vs Tulane prediction.
Our East Carolina vs Tulane Pick
- Pick: Tulane -6.5
- Confidence: 4/5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: East Carolina Pirates vs Tulane Green Wave
- Date & Time: Thursday, October 9, 2025, 8:00 PM ET
- Venue: Yulman Stadium, New Orleans, LA
- Broadcast: ESPN
East Carolina vs Tulane Odds
| Odds | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Carolina | +6.5 | +195 | Over 53.5 |
| Tulane | -6.5 | -230 | Under 53.5 |
Key Storylines
Quarterback Play
East Carolina’s Katin Houser has been effective, throwing for 1,509 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He faces a Tulane defense that has been disruptive to everyone but an elite Ole Miss offense this year. Tulane’s Jake Retzlaff has 820 passing yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also leads the Green Wave in rushing yards and can impact winning in multiple ways.
Defensive Matchup
Tulane’s defense has been impressive, particularly in their recent 31-14 victory over Tulsa, where they recorded 13 tackles for loss and six sacks. East Carolina’s defense has also been solid, holding Army to just six points in their last game. East Carolina will have to go from defending option runs against Army to stopping a more balanced offense this week.
Special Teams Impact
East Carolina’s special teams have made significant contributions, including a fake field goal touchdown against Army. We will see if the Pirates have any other tricks up their sleeve in this matchup.
AAC Implications
Both of these teams are 1-0 in the American Athletic Conference to start the year. Both teams beat opponents that have struggled in the AAC so far. This will be the biggest test these two squads have faced so far in conference play and we should get a better idea of where both teams stand in the league as this contest unfolds.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Tulane has won 23 of their last 25 conference games.
- East Carolina is 4-1 against the spread for the season.
- Tulane is 3-2 against the spread for the year.
- Four of East Carolina’s first five games have gone under their totals.
- Three of Tulane’s first four games have stayed under their totals.
- East Carolina is 12-8 all-time against Tulane, but Tulane has won five of their last six meetings.
East Carolina vs Tulane Model Projection
Score Projection: East Carolina 20 – Tulane 27
Win Probability: East Carolina 35%, Tulane 65%
Final Thoughts
Simply put, I think that Tulane is a better football team than East Carolina across the board. The Green Wave have taken care of business against every team they have been expected to beat this year. That should continue in this game. I will lay the points with the Green Wave at home, as East Carolina is in for a rude awakening against their toughest conference opponent on the season so far.
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