Mercer Bears vs Samford Bulldogs Betting Pick & Prediction 1/20/24

Planning on watching today’s Bears and Bulldogs game? Catch the action at Pete Hanna Center in Homewood, AL, as the Bulldogs hosts this showdown at 6:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this Southern conference contest is set at 154 points, with the Bulldogs being the favored team playing at home against the Bears.

MERCER BEARS VS SAMFORD BULLDOGS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Mercer Bears +14

This game will be played at Pete Hanna Center at 6:00 ET on Saturday, January 20th.

WHY BET THE MERCER BEARS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-70 in favor of the Bulldogs.
• Even though we have Samford winning straight-up, we like Mercer at +14.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 154 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.

Taking a Look at the Bears Chances on the Road

Despite being the underdog, Mercer has been the favorite in six of their 18 games this season, going 4-2 in those contests. The Bears have an overall record of 8-10, including a 1-4 mark in Southern Conference play.

On the road, Mercer has gone 3-5 this season, and their average scoring margin in those games is -4.9 points per game. The Bears are currently on a three-game losing streak, and their record over their last 10 road games is 3-7.

Against the spread, Mercer has a record of 7-7-1 this season. As the underdog, the Bears are 4-5 vs. the spread. On the road, Mercer’s ATS mark is 3-4-1 and over their last 10 games as the underdog, they have gone 4-6 vs. the spread.

This season, the over/under record for Mercer games is 9-6 and today’s over/under line of 154 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (138.6). So far, 15 of their games have had lower over/under lines than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 131 points and their over/under record during this stretch is 1-2.

Mercer offense recently wrapped up a game with a total of 60 points against Chattanooga. In that game, they made 4/22 three-point attempts and achieved a field goal percentage of 33.8%. Jalyn McCreary is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 14.5 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, Jake Davis brings a PPG average of 9.6 into the game.

So far, the Bears’ defense is ranked 134th in the country at 70.5 points per contest. Against Chattanooga in their most recent game, the Mercer defense gave up a total of 74 points while allowing Chattanooga to hit 33% of their shots.

Will the Bulldogs Make it Happen at Home?

Samford is coming off a 75-71 win over Western Carolina, and they are 16-2 overall this season. The Bulldogs have won 13 straight games, and they are a perfect 12-0 when favored.

At home, Samford is 9-0 this season, and they have won their last 10 games at home. So far, the Bulldogs have an average scoring margin of +19.4 points per game at home.

As the favorite, Samford has been excellent vs. the spread this year, going 10-2. Their overall ATS mark is 11-4, and they have an impressive 7-2 ATS record at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Bulldogs are 9-1 vs. the spread.

This season, the over/under record for Samford games is 7-8, and today’s over/under line of 154 is very close to the average OU line in their games (154.6). So far, 9 of their games have finished with less points than today’s OU line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total is 175 points.

The Samford offense is coming off a game in which they scored 75 points vs. Western Carolina. Overall their field goal percentage was 43.1% while connecting on 8 threes. In terms of offense, the Bulldogs have a season-long field goal percentage of 49%, putting them 41st in the NCAA. Regarding three-pointers, they are ranked 25th in percentage and 9th in three-pointers made.

So far, the Bulldogs’ defense is ranked 231st in the country at 75.0 points per contest. The Samford defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 71 points and allowed Western Carolina to connect on 8 threes.