Memphis is good enough to win the American Conference title in the first year under Charles Huff, but that got derailed for the moment last week with a 31-17 loss to Tulane – the Tigers couldn’t stop giving the ball away.
East Carolina hasn’t been quite as strong as it was last year, and it also lost a game it shouldn’t have with a 30-17 struggle at UAB. With a favorable schedule ahead, though, it can get into the conference chase with an upset win at Memphis.
East Carolina vs Memphis: Quick Hits
- East Carolina gets two home games after this against Temple and USF.
- Memphis plays Army after this, gets a week off, and then goes to South Florida and Navy.
- East Carolina has won the last three games in the series going back to 2018, including a 31-27 home date last year.
How To Watch East Carolina vs Memphis
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026
Game Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV: ESPN2
Location: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN
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Why East Carolina Will Win
The Memphis run defense hasn’t been strong enough against the run, and the passing game has been a bit too inaccurate over the last two weeks, but that’s not the issue.
The Tigers turned it over six times in the loss to Tulane and failed to generate a takeaway in the loss to Boise State. How did East Carolina lose to UAB? It didn’t come up with any takeaways after forcing seven over the previous three games, all wins.
Why Memphis Will Win
East Carolina hasn’t played a slew of good passing teams, but the ones it faced were able to push the ball down the field. The Pirates are 0-3 when allowing more than 175 passing yards – really, the three wins over Rice, NC Central, and Old Dominion were against teams that couldn’t throw.
Memphis has thrown for over 175 yards in every game except the 38-13 win over the same UAB team that just took down East Carolina.
East Carolina vs Memphis Prediction, Betting Lines
Memphis will keep the mistakes to a minimum with a balanced attack and enough downfield plays to keep the pressure on. The Pirates won’t have the offense to keep up.
Memphis 35, East Carolina 24
Latest Consensus Line: Memphis -10.5, o/u: 54.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 3
Must See Rating (out of 5): 3
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.