East Carolina v. Virginia Tech Football Lines & Predictions

The Virginia Tech Hokies look to bounce back from consecutive defeats when they take on the East Carolina Pirates at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium Thursday night in a non-conference clash on ESPN. College football odds makers are confident the Hokies will get back in the win column, listing Virginia Tech as a 13-point favorite.

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The Hokies have not lost three straight games in six years and they’ll be trying to lengthen that streak Thursday night against an East Carolina team that beat them a year ago. VA Tech fell 27-22 when the Pirates returned a blocked punt 27 yards for a score with under two minutes remaining to shock the then-No. 17 Hokies.

The Hokies are 5-3 but they still have plenty to play for. They were also 5-3 at this point last season and went on to finish 10-4. Winning 10 games will be the goal again this season after seeing their national title hopes smashed and their ACC title hopes dimming with back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina. If the Hokies are able to reach 10 wins, it would be the sixth straight season they have done so.

Virginia Tech leads the all-time series with East Carolina 9-5, but they could easily be leading it 10-4 had they held on to a 14-0 lead last year. Last week, Tech couldn’t hold on to a fourth quarter lead against UNC. One thing is for sure, the Pirates will not quit no matter how many points they are behind, so Virginia Tech is going to need to show a killer instinct.

While running back Ryan Williams did have a costly fumble against the Tar Heels, he is having a great season with 930 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. It will be important that he keeps his head up and continues to perform as the VA Tech running game has been a big reason for QB Tyrod Taylor’s success in the passing game. Taylor will be looking to bounce back after getting sacked three times and being held without a touchdown pass for the first time in seven games against a stiff UNC defense.

While UNC was able to hold VA Tech’s offense in check, it’s the defense that really needs to kick things in gear, especially the run stuffers up front. The Hokies are allowing 154.1 rushing yards per game and they have given up 309 and 181 on the ground in their last two games. VA Tech must be able to stop East Carolina’s running attack if it hopes to avoid being upset again. It is worth noting that the Hokies are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games as a road favorite of 10.5 or more points. If you like the Hokies to bounce back with a blowout win this week, bet Virginia Tech at -13 at Sportsbook.com.

East Carolina was able to gain 158 yards on the ground against the Hokies last season and it is coming off a season-high 275-yard rushing performance against Memphis last week. On the season, the Pirates are averaging 149.1 rushing yards per game. If the Pirates can find success running the football against VA Tech, they should have an excellent opportunity to cover the spread and maybe even pull off the upset.

Dominique Lindsay did most of the damage on the dirt against Memphis, rushing for 139 yards. QB Patrick Pinkney provided the balance with a 216-yard day through the air. He threw one touchdown and rushed for two more. He was spectacular last season against the Hokies, completing 19 of 23 passes for 211 yards with one throwing score and one rushing score. The Pirates have won three of their last four games against ranked opponents. It is worth noting that the Pirates are 10-3 against the number in their last 13 games as a home underdog. If you’re putting VA Tech on upset alert, bet East Carolina at +13 at Sportsbook.com.

Score the cash Thursday night with expert NCAA football picks from world champion handicapper Jimmy Boyd!

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

• North Carolina at Virginia Tech Football Odds & Picks
• East Carolina at Memphis Football Odds & Predictions

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