We have four Bowl games scheduled for Tuesday, December 27, and one of them will be played in Birmingham, AL, so make sure you read the best Chanticleers vs. Pirates betting pick and odds.

Coastal Carolina and East Carolina will battle for the Birmingham Bowl and $1,374,545 of prize money when they face at Protective Stadium. The Pirates are -7.5 favorites on MyBookie Sportsbook, while the total is set at 63 points. These non-conference rivals will meet for the first time.

Chanticleers lost the Sun Belt Championship game to Troy

The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (9-3-0, 4-7-1 ATS) finished the regular season atop the Sun Belt East thanks to three consecutive wins, so they could afford to relax and lose to James Madison. The Chanticleers won their second division title in three years but were outclassed by the Troy Trojans in the championship game. Troy had a 31-0 and 45-13 lead throughout the tilt, and although the Chanticleers managed to score a couple of touchdowns in the final 15 minutes, it wasn’t enough to avoid a big 45-26 defeat.

Grayson McCall completed 29 of 41 passes for 319 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He also contributed a rushing touchdown, while Reese White led the team in rushing yards with 44 on eight carries. Tyson Mobley was excellent in the air with a team-high 109 yards and a TD on seven receptions. Sam Pinckney and Jared Brown also scored receiving touchdowns and combined for 154 yards on 16 catches. Defensively, Lance Boykin led the Chanticleers with eight tackles.

QB Grayson McCall will play Tuesday vs. East Carolina despite entering the transfer portal.

Pirates scored late to edge Temple

The East Carolina Pirates (7-5-0, 7-5-0 ATS) managed to avoid the third loss in a row despite allowing season-high 46 points to the Temple Owls. They did score a season-high 49 in a 49-46 victory thanks to a late touchdown scored with only 1:11 remaining on the clock. The teams were pretty tied in total yards, but the Pirates forced one turnover and committed none in return. Jsi Hatfield returned a kickoff for a 97-yeard touchdown in the second quarter.

Holton Ahlers completed 25 of 37 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns. Keaton Mitchell exploded for a career-high 222 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Keaton Mitchell and Isaiah Winstead were strong in the air as each scored a receiving TD and combined for 141 yards on nine catches. Jaylen Johnson also found the end zone through the air. Even four of East Carolina’s defenders chipped in double-digits in tackles. Jireh Wilson, Myles Berry, Julius Wood, and Teagan Wilk combined for 44 tackles.

TE Ryan Jones (personal) and RB Rahjai Harris (knee) are out and will not play on Tuesday against the Chanticleers.

Trends:

Coastal Carolina:

  • 8-2 ATS in the last ten games when playing as the underdog

East Carolina:

  • 7-16 ATS in the last 23 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game
  • 1-4 ATS in the last five games in December

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs. East Carolina Pirates Pick

Coastal Carolina will be delighted to have QB McCall ready for this game even though he entered the transfer portal. McCall is the Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2022 as he threw for 2,633 yards and 24 touchdowns with just two interceptions. East Carolina is slightly better in every offensive/defensive segment, but McCall’s availability is the main reason I am backing the Chanticleers to cover. The Pirates do have more experience in Bowl games, but this will be the third straight Bowl game for the Chanticleers and the third in the school’s history. On the other hand, East Carolina will play its first Bowl game since 2015. The last year’s tilt with Boston College at Military Bowl was canceled.

Pick: Take the Chanticleers at +9.5 (-130)

The Total

These rivals are averaging around 30 points per contest and don’t have strong defenses, so we could have a high-scoring affair with multiple touchdowns on each side. Grayson McCall and Holton Ahlers combined for 47 passing TDs this season, while the Pirates’ running back Keaton Mitchell has 13 rushing touchdowns. Over is 10-4 in the Chanticleers’ last 14 non-conference games; Over is 7-3 in the Pirates’ previous ten games after allowing more than 40 points in their last game, while Over is 9-4 in East Carolina’s last 13 games following an ATS loss.

Pick: Go Over 60.5 points (-130)