Rice Owls vs East Carolina Pirates Prediction, 10/10/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Rice Owls vs East Carolina Pirates

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026

Location: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, NC

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Pirates (-10.5)

Total/Over-Under: 49.5

Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium is the site where the East Carolina Pirates (2-2) will meet the Rice Owls (1-4) on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Rice opens this contest as 10.5-point dogs from oddsmakers. The over/under is 49.5.

The Rice Owls come into this matchup with a record of 1-4 for this season. In their last contest, the Owls played the UTSA Roadrunners and took a loss by a final of 16-14. The Rice Owls rushed the ball a total of 46 different times and accrued 144 yards, which had them averaging 3.1 yards per tote. At the end of the game, they ran 60 plays which totaled 232 yards. Rice surrendered 19 pass completions on 29 tries for a total of 148 yards, and a completion percentage of 65.5%. When it came to the battle of the line of scrimmage, the Owls conceded 166 yards on 43 tries, which averages out to 3.9 yds per run surrendered.

When talking about putting points on the board, the Rice Owls hold an average of 18.0 points per game. As a team they maintain an average of 243.8 yards on the ground ranking this team at 11th in Division 1. The Owls have tallied 1,646 yards in total over the course of this season. In terms of getting the ball in the endzone, Rice has earned 3 touchdowns through the air and 9 touchdowns via the ground. Rice has accumulated 89 first downs offensively, and they have been called for 23 penalties for 197 yards. They have surrendered the ball 7 times.

When it comes to passing yards, the Owls have given up 932 yards which puts them in 59th in D-1. They are conceding 186.4 yards per outing via the pass in addition to giving up a completion percentage of 62.9%. For the year, they have surrendered 366.0 yards/contest which ranks them 82nd in D-1. They have yielded 8 touchdowns through the air and 8 touchdowns on the ground. They are giving up 4.8 yards per running attempt and 179.6 yards on the ground per contest on the campaign. Overall, they have given up 898 yards via the ground game in 5 outings. The Owls are ranked 105th in Division 1 when it comes to the opposition scoring, giving up 27.4 points per game.

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The Pirates come into this game with a record of 2-2 for this season. In their last game, the Pirates walked away with a victory by a final of 42-9 when they faced the North Carolina Central Eagles. East Carolina relinquished 42 rush attempts for 35 yards (0.8 yds per rush). The Pirates secondary allowed a completion rate of 60.7%, relinquishing 173 yards on 17 out of 28 through the air. The Pirates finished the contest with a total of 489 yards while they ran 60 plays (8.2 yards per play). East Carolina ran the football for 6.7 yards per carry, finishing the game with 148 yards on 22 carries.

The East Carolina Pirates average 336.0 yards/game, which is good for 115th in Division 1. The East Carolina offense has compiled 338 yards of penalties on 34 violations, which has them sitting 50th in the nation in terms of hurting your team. They hold an average of 127.5 yards per game via the rush and have toted the ball for 510 yards for the season. They have thrown 3 interceptions while surrendering 5 fumbles and they have been able to record 61 1st downs. In terms of putting points on the board, the Pirates rank 99th in college football by tallying 24.0 PPG. During the season thus far, the Pirates have racked up 834 yards through the air along with holding an average of 208.5 passing yards per outing, which is ranked 93rd in D-1.

East Carolina has conceded a total of 570 yards via the ground game (142.5 yards per contest) as well as 9 touchdowns on the ground on the campaign. They have surrendered 1 touchdowns via the pass and 198.5 yards per game, ranking them 58th in D-1. Overall, they have allowed 101 points in total. They have compiled 2 fumbles recovered and 4 interceptions on the season. The Pirates defense has taken part in 287 plays, which has them ranked 38th in the nation. The Pirates are relinquishing 25.3 points per contest, ranking them 86th in the nation.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Pirates -10.5

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