ECU Pirates vs UNCW Seahawks, Picks and Predictions, Tuesday, November 18, 2025
The East Carolina Pirates (2-1) head to Wilmington to face the UNCW Seahawks (2-1) in a non-conference, in-state rivalry game. Last season, UNCW handled business with a 67-53 win over ECU, giving the Seahawks a measure of confidence coming into this matchup.
Sports Illustrated had UNCW at #134 in its preseason rankings, third in the CAA, while ECU was way down at #182, 12th in the American. That gap shows why UNCW is technically the favorite, but this is a revenge game and a rivalry.
Keep reading this ECU vs UNC Wilmington preview as we dig deeper, and also check out our college basketball best bets.
Sign Up for Winners and Whiners News Alerts, Get Free Picks and Discounts
Subscribe Now
East Carolina is off a scare
ECU has had a rocky start, squeaking past Elizabeth City by just one point. That win is not overly impressive when considering Elizabeth City is a D-II school that went just 11-16 last season. Their other two games were a win over GA Southern (92-89) and a blowout loss at Richmond (87-72).
KenPom ranks ECU 163rd overall, with 228th in adjusted offense and 135th in defense. Their pace is middling at 112th in adjusted tempo, and their schedule so far is above average at 175th.
Jordan Riley leads the Pirates at 20 points per game with 7.0 rebounds, while Giovanni Emejuru also adds 20 ppg while dominating inside with 10.7 rpg and 2.0 bpg. A big concern for the Pirates so far is depth as after Riley and Emejuru, the consistency for the rest of the roster drops. Turnovers have been an issue with the Pirates, averaging just over 15 per game so far.
Key Injury Report for ECU
- G Trevion LaBeaux (lower body) is out. Averaged 3ppg, 4rpg and 1.0 bpg last season.
UNCW looking to prove itself
UNC Wilmington has been efficient so far, even if the competition hasn’t been the greatest. Ranked #132 on KenPom, they are 104th in adjusted offense but a weak 185th in adjusted defense. Tempo is slow at 320th, and they come in with the 245th-rated schedule.
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ben Burns | +1,195.00 |
| 2 |  Jackie Mack | +849.00 |
| 3 |  David Hess | +832.00 |
| 4 |  Joe Duffy | +457.00 |
| 5 |  Dan Kaiser | +271.00 |
The Seahawks looked solid in a 106-77 opening win against Mount Olive, but lost to Kent State 86-77 in their toughest test. On Saturday, UNCW bounced back with a 73-60 win over South Carolina Upstate.
For UNCW, four guys have carried most of the scoring load. Nolan Hodge is averaging nearly 18.7 points per game, followed by Madison Durr (14.3 ppg), and Greedy Williams (14 ppg), and Patrick Wessler (13.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg). Durr is a transfer from CAA rival Monmouth and began his career at The Citadel.
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Rob Vinciletti | +1,570.00 |
| 2 | Dan Kaiser | +1,223.00 |
| 3 |  Ross Benjamin | +1,000.00 |
| 4 |  Earle Sports Bets | +916.00 |
| 5 | David Hess | +706.00 |
ECU vs UNCW Predictions
ATS Pick for ECU vs. UNCW:
- UNC Wilmington -6 (4 units)
UNCW has the advantage on paper and the depth to back it up. The Seahawks have a "big four,” while East Carolina leans heavily on the duo of Riley and Emejuru to lead the way. ECU’s outside shooting has been atrocious so far and they will struggle to get transition baskets against the slower tempo that the Seahawks will impose. With all the depth that UNCW has, I expect the Pirates to run out of steam and not be able to trade baskets late.
Take UNCW to make a statement at home.
Total Pick for ECU vs. UNCW:
- Under 148.5 (5 units)
Expect a controlled pace and fewer possessions. UNCW likes to slow the game down, and ECU has shown it can grind when needed. Neither team has been lighting it up offensively with UNCW shooting just 31% from three-point range and 68.2% from the line. ECU is shooting 70.8% from the line, but a horrendous 18% from three.
This total should be closer to the mid-140s. Take the under.
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
Bet $5 & Get $150
