East Carolina vs Tulane Prediction, Spread & Betting Odds (Thursday, Oct. 9)

• Tulane hosts East Carolina in this Week 7 CFB Matchup
• Both the Green Wave and Pirates are coming off bye weeks
• See our East Carolina vs Tulane prediction, spread and betting odds

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Tulane (4-1) looks to add a fifth win to the column when it hosts East Carolina (3-2) on Thursday night. Oddsmakers are siding with the Green Wave for Thursday Night College Football, although the line has shifted towards the Pirates.

Kickoff for this game is 7:30 PM ET at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, with ESPN carrying the broadcast nationally. Both teams are coming off bye weeks and picked up victories last time they took the field.

Which team is poised to break through in what should be a back-and-forth affair? Let’s dive in with our East Carolina vs Tulane prediction, spread and betting odds.

East Carolina vs Tulane Prediction

• Pick: ECU Spread (target live in-game opportunity)

Tulane quarterback – and former BYU Cougar – Jake Retzlaff hasn’t had the prettiest season, but he’s done enough to get the job done. He’s completing just 54.4% of his passes with two touchdowns, though he’s managed to avoid turnovers.

Through five games, he’s attempted only 125 passes for 820 yards, but his biggest threat comes on the ground. Retzlaff has scrambled 58 times for 368 yards and seven touchdowns.

69 YARD TUDDY FOR JAKE RETZLAFF AT TULANE pic.twitter.com/GcUV59we2k

— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) August 30, 2025

If East Carolina can limit his mobility, they’ll have a chance to keep this game close. The Pirates rank fourth in defensive rush success rate and seventh in rush EPA allowed. Tulane’s offense revolves around running the ball and controlling possession, so if ECU can disrupt that rhythm, there’s a clear path for them to pull the upset.

On the flip side, East Carolina quarterback Katin Houser has thrown for more than 1,500 yards while completing 68.3% of his passes. He’s tossed seven touchdowns but has also been prone to mistakes with four interceptions. Houser will need to deliver a strong performance, as the Pirates’ backfield has been ineffective, ranking 119th in EPA per rush and 116th in rush success rate.

I tend to agree with the underdog market movement we’ve seen. This game sets up to be lower-scoring, and I expect East Carolina to keep it close. That said, with the spread now sitting below the key number of seven, I’m less inclined to back the Pirates pregame.

I think Tulane, with the benefit of extra prep time, can establish control early and build a lead – which sets up a better opportunity to grab more points with East Carolina in-game. That’s the approach I’ll be taking for this Thursday night AAC matchup.

ECU vs Tulane Season Analysis

The Green Wave opened the season with a 23-3 win over Northwestern, followed by a narrow 33-31 victory at South Alabama and a 34-27 win against Duke. Their other win came at Tulsa, where they covered as 14.5-point favorites in a 31-14 result.

The lone loss came against SEC powerhouse Ole Miss, and while Tulane was catching 12.5 points, it was never in contention, falling 45-10.

The Pirates enter at 3-2 with wins over Campbell, Coastal Carolina, and Army. They dropped their season opener at NC State but covered as 13.5-point underdogs in a 24-17 loss.

Their other defeat came against BYU, where they were catching 6.5 points, but were handled 34-13. Overall, East Carolina has taken care of business in the games it was expected to win, while its losses haven’t come as much of a surprise.

East Carolina vs Tulane Odds

Odds via DraftKings as of October 9 at 1 pm ET. Bet on Thursday CFB with a DraftKings promo code.

Pirates vs Green Wave Spread & Betting Odds

Just about every sportsbook has Tulane laying -6.5 points. However, they didn’t open as 6.5-point favorites. Most books had the Green Wave around -7 to -7.5, and since then we’ve seen betting support shift to the Pirates.

The -245 moneyline on Tulane translates to roughly 71% implied probability, while East Carolina’s +200 sits around 33%. This gap suggests the market expects a Green Wave win but isn’t confident they’ll cover by a touchdown.

It’s game day, Greenies!

🆚: ECU
⏰: 6:30 PM
📍: Yulman Stadium
📺: ESPN
📻: 106.7 FM
🎟: https://t.co/PIW7zOItug #UptownFootball pic.twitter.com/iwmcg1oa76

— Tulane Football (@GreenWaveFB) October 9, 2025

The total hasn’t wavered much from its opener of 54, moving just a half point lower at most shops. There is slightly more juice (-112) to the Over at DraftKings.