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The North Carolina Tar Heels will travel to take on the East Carolina Pirates in a weekend college baseball matchup at Clark-LeClair Stadium. With that said, check out our college baseball odds series which has our North Carolina-East Carolina prediction and pick.
The North Carolina season could not have started much better, with the Tar Heels surging to a 4-1 record. The Tar Heels avenged an opening-day loss to Seton Hall by taking the final two games of the weekend before winning both midweek matchups. Head coach Scott Forbes has guided Carolina to two straight tournament appearances.
East Carolina has opened to a 3-1 record, sweeping their opening weekend before losing in extra innings in midweek against Campbell. In the last four full seasons, head coach Cliff Godwin has guided the Pirates to at least 40 wins. Clark-LeClair Stadium is a living hell for opponents.
Here are the North Carolina-East Carolina NCAAB Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
NCAAB Odds: North Carolina-East Carolina Odds
North Carolina Tar Heels: -1.5 (+140)
East Carolina Pirates: +1.5 (-175)
Over: 10.5 (-115)
Under: 10.5 (-115)
How To Watch North Carolina vs. East Carolina
TV:
Stream: ESPN Plus
Time: 5:00 PM ET/ 2:00 PM PT
*Watch NCAAB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why North Carolina Could Cover The Spread
Vance Honeycutt leads the Tar Heel offense after a standout freshman campaign and is slashing .368/.538/.526 with two extra-base hits and seven walks. Honeycutt belted 25 home runs last season, so opponents will not keep him in the park for long. On the basepaths, Honeycutt has stolen five bases in six attempts. Mac Horvath leads the team with three home runs, slugging an unbelievable 1.063. All five of Horvath's hits have gone for extra bases. Catcher Tomas Frick has belted three doubles, with an impressive .471/.591/.647 slash line. As a team, North Carolina has walked more than they have struck out, hitting .305 this season.
Max Carlson will take the mound for the Tar Heels, looking to erase a bad beginning to the season. Carlson was touched up for four runs in 4.1 innings, although he did strike out five batters. As a sophomore last season, Carlson led the team in ERA while striking out over a batter per inning. JUCO transfer Ben Peterson has been stellar out of the bullpen, twirling 3.1 shutout innings with five strikeouts and a save. North Carolina's team ERA is a stellar 2.60 with 51 strikeouts in 45 innings.
Why East Carolina Could Cover The Spread
East Carolina has a lethal offense, led by sophomore Luke Nowak. Nowak leads the team with a .533 batting average, hitting two doubles and driving in six runs. Nowak did not earn an at-bat as a freshman but put together an impressive summer campaign in the Cal Ripken League. Catcher Justin Wilcoxen leads the team with two home runs and eight RBIs, taking over the full-time catching duties. Waiting in the wings are two of the team's marquee power hitters, Alec Makarewicz and Josh Moylan, who have combined to hit 30 home runs in their careers. Both players are hitting only .200 this season, but the bats will surely wake up soon.
Trey Yesavage will take the ball for the Pirates tonight after a stellar season debut. Yesavage allowed one earned run in five innings, striking out seven in a defeat of George Washington. Yesavage is transitioning into a full-time starting role after 34 appearances out of the bullpen as a freshman. Tyler Bradt has earned a save this season, throwing three innings with six strikeouts across his two appearances. East Carolina's team ERA is a slightly inflated 4.46, with more than a strikeout per inning.
Final North Carolina-East Carolina Prediction & Pick
East Carolina's offense is primed for a breakout in this one.
Final North Carolina-East Carolina Prediction & Pick: East Carolina +1.5 (-175), under 10.5 (-115)
