East Carolina played several ranked teams this season and finished with a winning record. Including wins over Memphis and BYU. Last year, their College Football betting bowl matchup was canceled. So, this will mark their first postseason appearance since the 2013 season and their 18th overall. Meanwhile, Coastal Carolina was routed in the Sun Belt Championship against Troy. The Chanticleers will be making their third bowl appearance and are 1-1 in previous bowl games. Last December, they beat Northern Illinois 47-41. Now, Coastal coach Jamey Chadwell is gone to the Liberty Flames.
2022 Birmingham Bowl Coast Carolina Chanticleers vs. East Carolina Pirates
| Date and Time: | Tuesday, December 27, 2022, 6:45 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Carolina | -8½ (-110) | 60 (-110) | -325 |  |
| Coastal Carolina | +8½ (-110) | 60 (-110) | +265 | |
| ||||
2022 Birmingham Bowl Overview
At the beginning, the Birmingham Bowl debuted in 2006. And the matchup has conference tie-ins with the AAC, SEC, CUSA, and MAC. Previously this game was called the PapaJohns.com Bowl. And then the BBVA Compass Bowl before dropping its sponsors in 2015. The Birmingham Bowl was played at old Legion Field from its inception through 2020. Now the Birmingham Bowl is held at Protective Stadium, home to the UAB Blazers football program. Protective Stadium opened in October of 2021 to rave reviews. The College Football Betting payout for this bowl game is $1.3 million.
Favorites have won three of the last four matchups in the Birmingham Bowl. The 2019 edition watched Cincinnati dominate Boston College wire-to-wire for a 38-6 victory, the second Birmingham bowl victory for the Bearcats. The 2020 installment of the Birmingham Bowl was wiped out by COVID-19. Last year, the game returned as the Houston Cougars of the AAC faced the Auburn Tigers of the SEC. Houston erased a three-point deficit with a late touchdown to win it 17-13. Now, favorites are 7-2 ATS across the past nine versions of this game. The ‘under’ is also 5-1-1 across the past seven installments.
Overall, USF is the only multiple-game winner. The AAC has been represented in all 12 games. Including teams from the former Big East Conference, which reorganized into the American for the 2013 season.
2022 Birmingham Bowl Matchup
Last game, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers lost 45-26 against the Troy Trojans as 6.5-point road dogs. The game went over the sportsbook total of 49.5. Coastal Carolina has a record of 9-3 straight up, 4-7-1 against the spread, and 7-5 over/under the total.
Overall, Coastal Carolina has national metrics of 49th for total offense, 52nd for passing, 59th for rushing, and 61st for scoring. Defensively they rank 95th overall, 124th against the pass, 38th against the rush, and 101st for points allowed. Also, Coastal Carolina ranks 100th for fewest turnovers lost and 74th for takeaways.
Last game, the East Carolina Pirates won 49-46 against the Temple Owls as 9.5-point road favorites. The game went over the total of 52. East Carolina has a record of 7-5 straight up, 7-5 against the spread, and 6-6 over/under the total.
To summarize, East Carolina has national metrics of 24th for total offense, 16th for passing, 55th for rushing, and 47th for scoring. Defensively they rank 97th overall, 131st against the pass, 19th against the rush, and 73rd for points allowed. Also, East Carolina ranks 3rd for fewest turnovers lost and 53rd for takeaways.
2022 Birmingham Bowl Best Bet: East Carolina Pirates.