East Carolina at Navy NCAA Football Picks Against the Spread 9/14/2019

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

Holton Ahlers and the East Carolina Pirates travel to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday where they'll meet the Navy Midshipmen. Navy opens this matchup as 6-point favorites. The O/U has been set at 56.5. The Pirates are 1-1-0 ATS and 0-2-0 when betting on the total. The Midshipmen are 0-1-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-0-0 against the spread.

Key East Carolina Pirates Injuries

09/01/19 DB Colby Gore Suspension is out indefinitely
09/01/19 LB Delvontae Harris Suspension is out indefinitely
09/01/19 DB Juan Powell Suspension is out indefinitely

Key Navy Midshipmen Injuries

No key injuries to report

In their last contest, the East Carolina Pirates played the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs and were on the winning end of this game by a score of 48-9. Running the show from under center for the Pirates was Holton Ahlers who went 18/29 with 195 yards through the air and completed 1 touchdown. He gave away 1 pick in the game. Darius Pinnix Jr. led the team in rushing for the game. He tore off a long run of 26 yards and he added 2 touchdowns for the game. He rushed for a total of 134 yards by way of 21 carries which had him averaging 6.4 yards per run. Blake Proehl led the team in receiving yardage by earning 68 yards on 7 receptions. He had an average of 9.7 yards per reception for the game. The East Carolina Pirates ran the ball 51 times and racked up a total of 365 yards which had them averaging 7.2 yards per rush. On the day, the Pirates racked up 31 first downs and they had 7 penalties for 40 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. In the game, they ran 82 plays for 574 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, East Carolina allowed 11 catches on 23 tries totaling 147 yards, and a completion percentage of 47.8%. For the game, they allowed a total of 186 yards and forced 2 turnovers. Against the run, the Pirates allowed 39 yards on 34 tries which means they allowed 1.1 yards per attempt allowed.

The Pirates step onto the field holding a record of 1-1 in 2019. For total yards, they currently sit at 4th in the American Athletic Conference and 56th in the nation with 843 yards. In terms of scoring, they are one of the marginal teams in the country averaging 27 points per contest, ranking them 76th in the nation. As a team, they are averaging 203 yards on the ground per game which is 5th in the American Athletic Conference. The Pirates have one of the top tier defenses in the country, allowing 21.5 points per contest which has them at 6th in the AAC. In discussing yards on the ground, East Carolina is allowing 115 yards per game ranking them 5th in the American Athletic Conference and 46th in college football. Opposing teams are running for an average of 3.5 yards per rush ranking them 7th in the conference and 52nd in the country overall. In total, they have conceded 230 rushing yards through 2 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Pirates have allowed 437 yards. Teams are completing 59.7% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 7.4 yards per attempt.

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The last time they took the field, the Navy Midshipmen played the Holy Cross Crusaders and took home the victory by a score of 45-7. Leading the way at QB for the Midshipmen was Malcolm Perry who went 6/9 with 103 yards passing but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He ended the game without an interception. Nelson Smith led the team on the ground for the game. He broke a long run for 49 yards and he added 3 TD's in the game. He rushed for a total of 96 yards by way of 15 carries which gave him an average of 6.4 yards per carry. Mychal Cooper was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 48 yards on 2 receptions. He earned an average of 24.0 yards per reception for the game. The Navy Midshipmen ended up rushing 67 times and earned 428 yards which earned them an average of 6.4 yards per attempt. Overall, the Midshipmen had a total of 32 first downs and they had a total of 3 infractions for 25 yards which tells us that they had a disciplined week in practice. In the game, they ran 76 plays for a total of 531 yards. When discussing the defense, Navy allowed 16 completions on 29 throws for a total of 167 yards, and a completion percentage of 55.2%. For the game, they allowed a total of 232 yards and earned 1 takeaway. Against the run, the Midshipmen allowed 65 yards on 26 runs allowing their opponent an average of 2.5 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

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The Midshipmen head into this game 1-0. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Midshipmen have one of the best offenses in college football. Navy has made teams game plan around their running game by averaging 428 rushing yards per contest, ranking them 1st in D-1. As a team, they have a total of 428 yards rushing through 1 contest, so they'll look to continue their dominance on the ground to grind out wins. The Midshipmen average 531 yards per game overall putting them 16th in the country and 3rd in the conference. The Midshipmen are conceding 7 points per contest ranking them 2nd in the conference and 6th in college football. In regard to points allowed, they have given up 7 points in total. In discussing yards on the ground, they are conceding 65 yards per game which puts them at 12th in D-1 and 2nd in the conference. For this season, they have conceded 65 yards on the ground and 1 rushing TD. Their pass defense is one of the elite units in college football. They are giving up 167 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Midshipmen are ranked 5th in the American Athletic Conference.

Who will win tonight's Pirates/Midshipmen college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Midshipmen -6

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