Birmingham Bowl Betting Preview: Coastal Carolina vs East Carolina

Coastal Carolina will be without its coach when it faces the East Carolina Pirates in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl. Chanticleers quarterback Grayson McCall is entering the transfer portal but announced on social media that he intends to play in this game. That’s good news for fans of Coastal Carolina. He’s one of the top quarterbacks around and the Chanticleers are in trouble without him in the lineup.

Game Information

McCall’s Decision Changes Game

A Birmingham Bowl betting preview has to start with McCall. He was expected to miss the game either by opting out or by entering transfer portal, which is why ECU opened as 7-point favorites. He stunned plenty of people when he announced he was going to play in the game. The spread reached 9.5 and 10 points before his announcement.

The line is back down to 8 and may drop even lower now that McCall has made it official.

McCall will play but several Coastal Carolina starters are expected to miss the game due to transferring. Center Willie Lampkin was a first-team All-Sun Belt selection and several key defenders will also miss the game.

The Coastal Carolina vs East Carolina betting odds saw the total drop from its opening number of 62.5 to 60 before moving back to its current 61.5.

The Pirates have moved to -325 on the moneyline and it could also drop a bit.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Any Birmingham Bowl betting preview is going to note the Chanticleers are going to be without head coach Jamey Chadwell. He is taking over the program at Liberty. Coastal Carolina has hired NC State assistant Tim Beck for next NCAAF season. But he won’t coach this game. Instead, defensive coordinator Chad Staggs will lead the team.

It’s easy to see why Coastal Carolina fans were celebrating McCall’s decision. There’s a huge difference between McCall and backup QB Jarrett Guest. McCall threw 24 touchdown passes and was picked off twice in 285 pass attempts. He was also sacked 18 times. Guest attempted 43 passes and was intercepted four times and sacked seven times. Not only does he hold onto the ball too long, he makes poor decisions when he does throw the ball.

Coastal Carolina is average running the ball but the Pirates can stop the run, however, if East Carolina respects the pass too much the Chanticleers aren’t opposed to running the ball and picking up three of four yards at a time. That’s probably more true with a defensive-minded person in charge of the team for this game.

The Birmingham Bowl betting preview notes the Chanticleers are solid defending the run, allowing 3.9 yards per carry to teams that average 4.1 yards. But the team struggles against the pass, allowing 63.3% completions to teams that connect on 59.5% of their passes. Coastal Carolina allows 281.7 yards per game to teams that average 228.4 passing yards.

East Carolina Pirates

The Pirates throw the ball plenty and they do it fairly well. The Birmingham Bowl betting preview shows East Carolina as connecting on 66.5% of its pass attempts. Its foes allow 63.8% on average, while ECU gains 288.5 passing yards per game against teams allowing 239.3. The Pirates are capable of running the ball, gaining 5.3 yards per carry against teams allowing 4.5 yards per rush.

Quarterback Holton Ahlers threw for 23 TDs and ran for five more during the season. He was sacked just 14 times in 431 passing attempts. C.J. Johnson led the Pirates with nine touchdown receptions, while Isaiah Winstead led the team with 82 receptions. Tight end Ryan Jones, who had 41 receptions will miss the game.

Running back Keaton Mitchell led the way on the ground with 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns. He accounted for more than half of ECU’s 23 rushing touchdowns on the season and averaged 7.4 yards per carry.

Three of East Carolina’s five losses were by three points or less, so the Pirates could have finished with a better record if they caught a break or two.

What to Expect?

A Birmingham Bowl betting preview is going to key in on the Coastal Carolina passing game. East Carolina doesn’t defend the pass very well and Coastal Carolina can throw the ball when McCall is in there. He’ll want to make a good impression for possible suitors in the transfer portal. Even with a poor game, McCall will have some of the top Power Five conference teams vying for his services.

Despite having a top-notch quarterback, Coastal Carolina likes to run the ball. The team runs 39 times a game and throws 28 times. Those numbers are a little distorted due to McCall missing a few games with injuries and the Chanticleers running the ball more when he was out.

The Pirates will want to come out strong and be in a position where they can mix the run and the pass. That’s when ECU is at its best. As it stands, the Chanticleers look to be the right side for your picks and parlays NCAAF style. This could turn out to be a high-scoring, entertaining game that bears watching.

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