The BYU Cougars take on the East Carolina Pirates in Greenville, NC. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
BYU is favored by -6.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -245. The total is set at 49.5 points.
Here’s my BYU vs. East Carolina predictions and college football picks for Saturday, September 20, 2025.
BYU vs East Carolina Prediction
- BYU vs. East Carolina Pick: East Carolina ML +205
My East Carolina vs. BYU best bet is on the Pirates moneyline. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
BYU vs East Carolina Odds
| BYU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 49.5 -110o / -110u | -245 |
| East Carolina Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 49.5 -110o / -110u | +200 |
- BYU vs East Carolina point spread: BYU -6.5
- BYU vs East Carolina over/under: 49.5 points
- BYU vs East Carolina moneyline: BYU -245, East Carolina +200
BYU vs East Carolina Preview
BYU Cougars Betting Preview:
BYU's stats are so skewed by who it's played (Portland State, Stanford), thus I don't know enough about this team at this stage of the season, and I don't trust it enough to go across the country and cover 7.5 points.
I'm not impressed by the 69-0 blow out of Portland State because the Cougars ran up the score at home against a team that just can't compete on that level. I've also seen Stanford — time and time again — be incapable of completing a forward pass.
BYU wants to line up and run the football, and we're going to see East Carolina crowd the box to try to prevent that. Instead, the Cougars are going to have to check out of their run looks, forcing them to throw the ball more than they'd like.
When I put on the film and I watch Bear Bachmeier hold onto the ball and go through his progressions, it's painful to watch. That's not going to work well against this East Carolina team, one that's getting to the quarterback and creating negative plays.
Bachmeier stares down his primary target from time to time, and that's going to get BYU into some major trouble when it goes up against the athleticism of the East Carolina defense.
East Carolina Pirates Betting Preview: Houser Looking Up
I was researching East Carolina in the preseason and I really wanted to fall in love with the Pirates as a surprise team in the American. However, I just couldn't get there for a couple of different reasons that were glaringly problematic.
That appears to be in the past, though, as East Carolina has corrected some of those issues.
First, Katin Houser has been such a pleasant surprise, as he has a 5-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and has thrown for 973 yards. The Pirates were such a turnover machine last year, and he was a big part of it. Instead, he's become much more cautious with the football this season.
The Pirates are also executing in the red zone, and they're spreading the ball around really nicely. Five players already have at least eight catches on the season, which shows they have plenty of capable weapons.
They're also converting 58% on third down, proving their excellence when it comes to critical situations.
East Carolina is really doing well to accumulate drives that see scoring chances. The Pirates have 20 red zone attempts already this season, including nine red zone attempts last week against Coastal Carolina.
They lost Rahjai Harris, their bell cow running back, but they've been able to pivot to a different style of play.
On the other side of the ball, they've been lights out on the ground, even with the talent that they've lost from last year's team. They're surrendering just two yards per carry and only allowing conversions on 32% of third downs.
If you go look at the film from the second quarter on against NC State, the Pirates have been flying to the football. They've been tackling very well and creating turnovers.
I'm very encouraged by this defense.
BYU vs East Carolina Pick, Betting Analysis
Hosting a powerful program is a rare opportunity for East Carolina, so it should be fired up for this spot.
BYU has significantly downgraded from last season, and East Carolina should be able to torch the Cougars' secondary, which hasn't been tested in 2025.
I like the Pirates to cover the spread, but I love them on the moneyline in a value play. ECU is going to win this game on the field.
Pick: East Carolina ML +205
