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The No. 1 seed Furman Paladins (24-7, 15-3 SoCon) and the No. 8 seed Mercer Bears (14-18, 6-12 SoCon) play in the SoCon Tournament Saturday at Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville. Gametime is at 12:00 PM.
Furman is a double-digit 10.5-point favorite against Mercer when the Paladins take the court against the Bears on Saturday. The over/under is 141 points for the matchup.
Furman vs. Mercer Odds
Point Spread for Furman vs. Mercer
The spread for this matchup is set at 10.5 points, with bookmakers listing Furman as the favorite.
Furman vs. Mercer Moneyline
As for the moneyline, Furman has -569 odds to pick up the win, while Mercer is listed at +418 to claim victory.
Over/Under
Finally, the over/under for the game is set at 141 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- Game Day: Saturday, March 4, 2023
- Game Time: 12:00 PM ET
- TV Channel: ESPN+
- Location: Asheville, North Carolina
- Arena: Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville
Furman vs. Mercer Betting Trends
Against the spread, Furman is 16-12-0 this season. The Paladins have been victorious in 20, or 80%, of the 25 contests they have been chosen as favorites in this season. Furman has gone over the point total in 48.4% of its opportunities this year (15 times in 31 games with a set point total).
Mercer has 14 wins against the spread in 31 games this year. The Bears have won 13.3% of the games this season they were the underdog on the moneyline (2-13). Mercer’s games this year have gone over the total in 12 of 31 opportunities (38.7%).
Furman vs. Mercer Key Players to Watch
Furman
Jalen Slawson is tops on the Paladins at 7.3 rebounds per contest, while also posting 3.4 assists and 15.7 points. Mike Bothwell leads his team in both points (17.9) and assists (3.1) per contest, and also averages 3.6 rebounds. Defensively, he puts up 0.9 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. JP Pegues is tops on his squad in assists per game (4), and also totals 11.1 points and 3.7 rebounds. At the other end, he tallies 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. Marcus Foster is posting 11.1 points, 1.1 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game.
Mercer
Jalyn McCreary is the Bears’ top scorer (15.1 points per game) and rebounder (5.4), and contributes 0.5 assists. Luis Hurtado is averaging a team-high 3.4 assists per game. He’s also contributing 7.3 points and 4.2 rebounds, hitting 44% of his shots from the floor. The Bears receive 10.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game from Kamar Robertson. The Bears get 8.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game from Shawn Walker.
What you need to know about the Furman Paladins
A total of 10 out of Furman’s 18 SoCon games this season have hit the over. The Paladins are ceding 71.1 points per game this year (211th-ranked in college basketball), but they’ve really thrived offensively, averaging 82.2 points per game (10th-best). Furman is pulling down 33.1 boards per game (102nd-ranked in college basketball) this season, while allowing 29.5 rebounds per contest (88th-ranked).
Furman has a 35.1% three-point percentage this year (136th-ranked in college basketball), but it has really shined by draining 9.7 threes per contest (14th-best). With 7 three-pointers conceded per game, the Paladins rank 151st in the nation. They are allowing a 34.4% shooting percentage from three-point land, which ranks 219th in college basketball.
The Paladins have gone 9-1 over their past 10 contests, with a 7-3 record against the spread in that span. Furman has gone over the total in five of its last 10 games. Furman’s offense has been worse over its last 10 games, putting up 81.7 points a contest compared to the 82.2 it has averaged this year. Furman’s points-allowed average over its past 10 games (68.2) is 2.9 fewer points per game than the team is allowing over the entire season (71.1).
What you need to know about the Mercer Bears
In Mercer’s 19 chances this season in SoCon play, the combined scoring has gone over the point total seven times. The Bears are 251st in the country in points scored (69.1 per game) and 84th in points allowed (66.8). In 2022-23, Mercer is 185th in college basketball in rebounds (31.6 per game) and 82nd in rebounds conceded (29.4).
Beyond the arc, Mercer is 317th in the nation in 3-pointers made per game (6). It is 183rd in 3-point percentage at 34.3%. In 2022-23, the Bears are 34th in the nation in 3-pointers conceded (6 per game) and 113th in defensive 3-point percentage (32.8%).
The Bears have gone 4-6 in their past 10 contests, with a 6-4 record against the spread in that span. Four of Mercer’s last 10 contests have hit the over. Over its last 10 games, Mercer is scoring 66.8 points per contest, compared to its season average of 69.1. Over their past 10 games, the Bears are surrendering 63.3 points per game, 3.5 fewer points than their season average (66.8).
Furman vs. Mercer Prediction & Pick
Our prediction to win this game is Furman, and we predict that Mercer will cover the spread (Furman -10.5). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going over the posted total of 141 points.
How to bet Furman vs. Mercer
You can bet on Furman vs. Mercer at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.
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