BYU Cougars vs East Carolina Pirates Prediction, 9/20/2025 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: BYU Cougars vs East Carolina Pirates

Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025

Location: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, NC

TV: ESPN2

Odds/Point Spread: Pirates (+7.5)

Total/Over-Under: 48

The East Carolina Pirates (2-1) will compete against the BYU Cougars (2-0) at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Saturday, September 20, 2025. BYU opens this matchup as 7.5-point favorites. The betting total comes in at 48.

The BYU Cougars head into this game 2-0 for this season. In their last game, the Cougars took the field against the Stanford Cardinal and notched a win by a score of 27-3. The BYU Cougars ran the rock 41 different times and totaled 157 yds, which earned them an average of 3.8 yards per attempt. For the game, they ran 68 plays which totaled 332 yards. BYU gave up 17 pass completions on 32 tries for a total of 142 yds, and a completion rate of 53.1%. When it came to the battle of the line of scrimmage, the Cougars gave up 19 yds on 24 attempts, which is an average of 0.8 yds per rush surrendered.

The Cougars currently have 938 total yards over the course of this year. In terms of notching touchdowns, BYU has amassed 3 touchdowns via the pass and 7 rushing touchdowns. They have surrendered the football 1 time. BYU has accrued 46 first downs as a team, and they have committed 9 penalties for 90 yards. As a team they're holding an average of 312.5 yards on the ground giving them a rank of 2nd in D-1. Regarding scoring, the BYU Cougars are sitting at 48.0 points per game.

When talking about passing yards, the Cougars are giving up 198 yards which puts them in 3rd in college football. They have yielded 99.0 yards per game through the air and conceding a completion percentage of 51.9%. For the season, they are surrendering 106.0 yards/game ranking them 1st in the nation. They have yielded 0 touchdowns by air and 0 touchdowns pounding the rock. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 0.3 yards per tote and 7.0 rushing yards per game on the year. For the season, they have given up 14 yards via the ground game in 2 games. The Cougars rank 1st in the nation in terms of their opponents scoring, conceding 1.5 PPG.

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The Pirates come into this game with a record of 2-1 for this season. When they last stepped on the field, the Pirates walked away with a victory by a final of 38-0 when they faced the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. East Carolina ended up running for 4.2 yds per attempt, finishing with 204 yds on 49 carries. The Pirates finished the contest with 497 yds on 86 plays (5.8 yds per play). The Pirates secondary gave up a completion rate of 48.7%, relinquishing 172 yds on 19 out of 39 passing. East Carolina gave up 26 running attempts for 67 yds (2.6 yds per carry).

The East Carolina Pirates maintain an average of 481.7 yards/game, which is good for 24th in D-1. The East Carolina offense has racked up 220 yards of penalties on 26 infractions, ranking them 9th in D-1 in terms of helping out the opposition. They hold an average of 135.3 yards per game on the ground and have run for 406 yards overall. They have given away 1 pick and they have been able to earn 74 first downs. In relation to their scoring prowess, the Pirates are ranking 43rd in college football by tallying 37.0 PPG. For the season so far, the Pirates currently sit at 1,039 yards via the pass in addition to an average of 346.3 throwing yards per game, putting them at 11th in college football.

The Pirates are conceding 9.0 points per game, which puts them 11th in college football. East Carolina has conceded a total of 176 rushing yards (58.7 yards per game) and 2 touchdowns via the rush this season. They have surrendered 1 touchdown through the air and 212.3 yards/outing, which has them sitting 71st in the country. The Pirates defense has taken part in 198 plays, which ranks them 76th in the country. They have earned 5 fumbles and 3 interceptions so far this year. This season, they have surrendered 27 points.

Who will win tonight's Cougars/Pirates college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Cougars -7.5

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