The Birmingham Bowl is a bittersweet game for Coastal Carolina. On one hand they can reach double-digit wins for a third straight year for the first time in school history, but in the process of that success they have lost coach Jamey Chadwell to Liberty. East Carolina is happy to be playing, with last year’s Military Bowl ending a 7-year postseason drought but then that game was cancelled as Boston College was ravaged by positive COVID tests.
Before Betting on the Birmingham Bowl
Defensive coordinator Chad Staggs will take over the head coaching duties for the Chanticleers (9-3). Chadwell led the team to a 31-6 record the last three seasons which is how he earned a 7-year, roughly $28 million deal at Liberty.
While Chadwell is out the door, Coastal Carolina did get some good news when QB Grayson McCall decided to play in this game despite announcing plans to enter the transfer protocol. That’s a huge lift for the Chanticleers as McCall has a complete command of this offense, completing at least 69% of his passes the last three years with 70TDs to just 7 INTs over that span. McCall has been named the Sun Belt Player of the Year in each of the last three seasons.
East Carolina (7-5) was kind of a hard luck team this year, with three of their losses coming by a combined six points against NC State (21-20), Navy (23-20), and Cincinnati (27-25). That being said they were also blown out by 42-3 in week 12, a fate that could repeat itself considering the Pirates had the second worst pass defense in the country giving up 299.5 ypg.
East Carolina vs Coastal Carolina NCAAF Offshore Betting Odds
| Offshore Sportsbook | Moneyline | Total | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | E. Carolina (1.37) | CCU (3.25) | 65 | E. Carolina -7 (1.95) | CCU +7 (1.87) |
| Bovada | E. Carolina (1.35) | CCU (3.30) | 65 | E. Carolina -7 (1.87) | CCU +7 (1.95) |
| BetUS | E. Carolina (1.36) | CCU (3.30) | 65 | E. Carolina -7 (1.91) | CCU +7 (1.91) |
| SportsBetting.ag | E. Carolina (1.37) | CCU (3.25) | 65 | E. Carolina -7 (1.95) | CCU +7 (1.87) |
| Pinnacle | E. Carolina (1.32) | CCU (3.43) | 65 | E. Carolina -7 (1.85) | CCU +7 (2.01) |
| MyBookie | E. Carolina (1.37) | CCU (3.12) | 65 | E. Carolina -7 (1.91) | CCU +7 (1.91) |
Birmingham Bowl Prediction & Pick
Both of these teams can throw the ball all over the field, as ECU quarterback Holton Ahlers was 15th in the country with 3,408 yards to go along with 23 TDs and just 5 INTs. The offshore sportsbooks are expecting some offense, and we should get it.
Pick: Over 65
