Samford Bulldogs vs Mercer Bears NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/15/25
Betting on today’s Bulldogs and Bears game? Catch the action at Hawkins Arena in Macon, GA, as the Bears hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. Samford is favored by -5.5 in this Southern conference contest against Mercer. The game’s over/under currently sits at 165 points.
SAMFORD BULLDOGS VS MERCER BEARS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Mercer Bears +5.5
This game will be played at Hawkins Arena at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, January 15th.
WHY BET THE MERCER BEARS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-70 in favor of the Bears.
- Not only will Mercer pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +5.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 165 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.
Is a Road Win Possible for the Bulldogs?
Samford improved to 12-3 on the season with a 76-69 win over UNCG on Saturday. The Bulldogs, who were -6.5 favorites, covered the spread with the victory. The game’s total points of 145 fell short of the 150.5 O/U line.
Samford took a 36-28 lead into halftime and scored 40 points in the 2nd half, while allowing 41. Despite the narrow margin in the 2nd half, they held on for the win at home.
Samford’s offense put up 76 points in their latest game, shooting 48.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 57.7%. They connected on 57.1% of their two-point attempts and hit 37.5% from beyond the arc, making 9 threes. At the free-throw line, they converted 73.9% of their 23 attempts.
Trey Fort led the Bulldogs with 21 points, while Donovan Atwell added 19, hitting 5 of 10 from three-point range. Rylan Jones contributed 16 points and 6 assists, and Riley Allenspach was efficient, shooting 75% from the field in just 15 minutes.
Samford’s defense gave up 69 points in their last game, with their opponents shooting 48% from the field, hitting 25 of 52 shots. Inside the arc, they allowed 16 of 28 two-point attempts to fall, a 57% shooting rate.
From three-point range, Samford’s defense conceded 9 of 24 shots, a 37% success rate. They also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 17 attempts, shooting 73%. Samford allowed 9 offensive rebounds.
Can the Bears Pull the Upset at Home?
Mercer Bears Recent Game/Games
The Bears dropped to 7-9 on the season after an 85-82 road loss to Western Carolina on Sunday. Mercer entered the game as -4.5 favorites but failed to cover the spread.
Mercer led 44-40 at halftime but were outscored 45-38 in the second half. The game’s total points of 167 went over the pre-game line of 154.5.
Mercer’s offense put up 82 points in their last game, despite shooting just 38% from the field and 26.9% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 42.3%, and they struggled at the free-throw line, hitting 61.8% of their attempts.
Alex Holt led the way with 21 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 63.6% from the floor. Ahmad Robinson added 18 points and 13 rebounds, though he shot just 36.8%. Ice Emery contributed 16 points, hitting 4 of 8 threes.
Mercer’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 85 points on 46% shooting from the field. They allowed the opposing team to shoot 64% from two-point range, with 18 made shots inside the arc.
From three-point range, Mercer’s defense gave up 11 threes on 34 attempts, a 32% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 20 times, where they converted 16 of their attempts, shooting 80%.