Week 8 of the college football season is upon us, and the action continues on Thursday with a standalone game in the American Athletic Conference between Tulsa (2-4, 0-3 AAC) and East Carolina (3-3, 1-1 AAC). The sports betting market is not expecting a tight game, as the hosting Pirates are 17-point favorites. However, throwing a little money on this conference clash should make this game very entertaining.
Below, I'll dive into how I'm betting this Tulsa versus East Carolina matchup with my top college football picks. Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, NC.
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Thursday's Best College Football Picks: Week 8
(Odds courtesy of Fanatics Sportsbook)
Tulsa (+17) vs. East Carolina (-17) | O/U 54.0 (-110/-110)
As mentioned, oddsmakers are expecting a blowout in Greenville on Thursday night. I agree, and don't think this number is high enough. I'm looking to fade Tulsa heavily, and I also think East Carolina is one of the more underrated Group of Five schools. I'm laying the points with the Pirates at home.
Starting with East Carolina's offense, they're set to go nuclear in this game. They have a veteran redshirt junior quarterback in Katin Houser, who has racked up 1,689 passing yards on a 67.6% completion rate. He has three receivers at his disposal who have 330+ receiving yards already in 2025.
They'll take on a Tulsa defense that has been shredded in recent weeks, allowing at least 31 points to both Tulane (31) and Memphis (45), more recently. Overall, the Golden Hurricane are giving up 30.2 points per game against FBS-level competition (96th) and more than 400 yards per contest.
The Pirates should move the ball down the field with ease. But when laying these larger spreads, we also need the defense to show up. East Carolina’s defense has been elite this season, allowing only 18 points per game (18th) against FBS-level opposition. What stands out most is their red-zone numbers. East Carolina has the fifth-best red-zone defense in the nation, keeping their opponents out of the end zone at a 66.7% clip (12-for-18). It can't be stated enough how important it is to limit your opponents to three points versus seven.
Finally, it was confirmed earlier this week that the Golden Hurricane will roll with a redshirt freshman quarterback in Baylor Hayes moving forward. He has seen quite a bit of action this year, throwing for 787 yards on an underwhelming 61.1% completion rate, adding four touchdowns and three picks. Against a tough defense on the road, I don't anticipate the freshman keeping his team inside the number.
Bet: East Carolina Pirates -17 (-110)
