East Carolina vs. Tulane Picks and Predictions: Thursday Night AAC Action

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Can Katin Houser lead East Carolina to victory on the road? East Carolina Tulane Picks

The American Athletic Conference brings us some Thursday Night College Football as the East Carolina Pirates head to New Orleans to take on the Tulane Green Wave. Both bring 1-0 conference records into this contest, but each team has already tasted defeat this season. After a week off for both squads, can the well rested Green Wave figure out how to stop the Pirates from stealing a win in the Bayou? Or does Katin Houser lead East Carolina to another AAC win? Let’s dive into our favorite picks.

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East Carolina Pirates vs. Tulane Green Wave NCAA Football Insights

I’m still not sure what to think about this ECU team. They have three blowout wins over Campbell, at Coastal Carolina, and against Army, giving up just nine points across those contests while scoring 122 of their own. However they have lost against both Power Four opponents they faced, dropping games at NC State and against BYU at home. Although Tulane is also coming off a bye, East Carolina does have two extra days of rest. And they’ll need it to keep up with the Green Wave.

Jake Retzlaff has been a stud for Tulane since transferring. They are off to a 4-1 start, losing only to Ole Miss on the road, while beating two other Power Four opponents who came to town. Tulane handled business beating Northwestern and Duke, plus they have road wins over South Alabama and Tulsa. They’ve covered in 3/4 games as the favorite, can they do it again this Thursday?

Matchup Information – East Carolina vs. Tulane – October 9

  • Venue & Location: Yulman Stadium (New Orleans, LA)
  • Date: Thursday, October 9, 2025
  • Kick Off: 7:30 p.m. Eastern
  • Broadcast: ESPN

East Carolina vs. Tulane Betting Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of October 7, 2025 at 6:05 p.m. eastern. Sign up today with Promo Code BNBOL55 for a 55% deposit bonus. BetOnline offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.

Spread

  • East Carolina +7 (-118)
  • Tulane -7 (-102)

Moneyline

  • East Carolina +200
  • Tulane -240

Total

  • Over 53.5 (-115)
  • Under 53.5 (-105)

I am sweating out Tulane’s Over 8.5 Win Total this season for plus money, and I certainly thought this is a game they could handle before the season even started. In Thursday’s matchup, I lean heavily with the host to cover this spread, but instead will opt for a same game parlay.

East Carolina vs. Tulane NCAA Football Picks and Predictions

Jake Retzlaff has 368 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns this season - East Carolina Tulane Picks

Jake Retzlaff has 368 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns this season

East Carolina vs. Tulane Prediction: Tulane Wins & Covers, Over 53.5

Best Bet: Tulane ML/Jake Retzlaff 40+ Rushing Yards (-110) BetOnline

In my eyes, this is us getting Tulane ML for a reasonable number. If the Green Wave win this game, Retzlaff’s legs will be working. They are the more battle tested team, and are overall just much more talented. East Carolina has struggled to contain mobile QBs, and that’s exactly what the Green Wave bring to the table.

Mobile QBs vs. East Carolina

  • CJ Bailey (NCST): 7-21-1, Long 13
  • Bear Bachmeier (BYU): 5-26-1, Long 16
  • Dewayne Coleman (Army): 22-51-1, Long 10

Retzlaff leads the Green Wave in rush attempts (58), rushing yards (368), and rushing TDs (7). He’s running or 6.3 yards per carry and has found the end zone with at least 50 rushing yards in four of five games as well. Plus he’s ran for at 110+ in two of those contests. East Carolina has a much better secondary than they do a rushing defense, and Retzlaff is a much better runner than he is a passer. He’ll use his legs to lead the Green Wave to victory, and yes, I do think his over 56.5 rushing yard line is a fine play by itself.

He had hit 50+ yards in four straight games to start the season, with 113 against Northwestern, 111 against Duke and 51 against Ole Miss, but took two big sacks against Tulsa and still finished with 29 yards on 10 carries. He had only been sacked three times in the previous four games, and didn’t take one against the Rebels. East Carolina does not have more than one sack in a game against a team with a pulse (my new favorite tier ranking), and again, if the Green Wave handle business, Retzlaff will have done plenty of work on the ground.

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