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The No. 9 seed Citadel Bulldogs (10-21, 5-13 SoCon) play in the SoCon Tournament against the No. 8 seed Mercer Bears (13-18, 6-12 SoCon) on Friday at Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville, beginning at 5:00 PM.
The Bears square off against the Bulldogs in a game that Mercer is currently a solid favorite by 6.5 points. The matchup has an over/under of 134.5.
Mercer vs. Citadel Odds
Point Spread for Mercer vs. Citadel
The spread for this matchup is set at 6.5 points, with oddsmakers listing Mercer as the favorite.
Mercer vs. Citadel Moneyline
As for the moneyline, Mercer has -302 odds to pick up the win, while Citadel is listed at +242 to claim victory.
Over/Under
Finally, the total for the game is set at 134.5 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- Game Day: Friday, March 3, 2023
- Game Time: 5:00 PM ET
- TV Channel: ESPN+
- Location: Asheville, North Carolina
- Arena: Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville
Mercer vs. Citadel Betting Trends
In Mercer’s 30 games this year, it has 13 wins against the spread. The Bears have been victorious in nine, or 64.3%, of the 14 contests they have been chosen as favorites in this season. Mercer’s games this year have hit the over on 12 of 30 set point totals.
Citadel has 12 wins against the spread in 30 games this year. The Bulldogs have won six of the 24 games they were listed as the moneyline underdog this season (25%). Citadel has gone over the point total 46.7% of the time this year (14 of 30 games with a set point total).
Mercer vs. Citadel Key Players to Watch
Mercer
Jalyn McCreary is tops on the Bears with 15.2 points per contest and 5.5 rebounds, while also averaging 0.5 assists. Luis Hurtado is tops on the Bears at 3.3 assists per contest, while also averaging 4 rebounds and 7.4 points. Kamar Robertson is averaging 10.9 points, 1.5 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game. Shawn Walker puts up 8.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest, shooting 43.3% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc with 1.2 made 3-pointers per contest.
Citadel
Stephen Clark paces the Bulldogs in scoring (16.6 points per game), rebounding (6.5) and assists (2.8), shooting 50.6% from the field. He also produces 0.9 steals and 1.8 blocked shots. Austin Ash is posting 15.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest, making 41.2% of his shots from the floor and 39.7% from 3-point range, with 3.4 treys per game (ninth in the country). Elijah Morgan gives the Bulldogs 7.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He also posts 1.7 steals and 0 blocked shots. Madison Durr gives the Bulldogs 7.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest. He also puts up 0.4 steals and 0 blocked shots.
What you need to know about the Mercer Bears
In Mercer’s 18 SoCon games this season, the combined scoring has gone over the point total seven times. The Bears are 248th in college basketball with 69.2 points per game this year. At the other end, they rank 106th with 67.6 points allowed per contest. So far this season, Mercer is grabbing 31.2 boards per game (217th-ranked in college basketball) and ceding 29.7 rebounds per contest (92nd-ranked).
Mercer is making 6.1 treys per game (310th-ranked in college basketball). It sports a 34.4% shooting percentage (178th-ranked) from downtown. The Bears are giving up 6.2 three-pointers per game (51st-ranked in college basketball). They are allowing opposing teams to shoot 33.6% (165th-ranked) from three-point land.
The Bears are 5-5 against the spread and 4-6 overall in their last 10 contests. In its past 10 contests, Mercer has gone over the total five times. On the offensive side of the ball, Mercer has had a tough time putting the ball in the basket over its last 10 games, scoring 67.3 points per contest over that span as opposed to the 69.2 it has put up over the course of this season. The last 10 games have seen Mercer give up 1.7 fewer points per game (65.9) than its season-long average (67.6).
What you need to know about the Citadel Bulldogs
Citadel has won seven games against the spread this season in conference action, while failing to cover 11 times. On offense the Bulldogs are the 269th-ranked team in college basketball (68.3 points per game). On defense they are 304th (74.5 points allowed per game). On the boards, Citadel is 306th in the nation in rebounds (29.2 per game). It is 18th-worst in rebounds conceded (34.3 per game).
Beyond the arc, Citadel is 198th in college basketball in 3-pointers made per game (7.3). It is 250th in 3-point percentage at 33.1%. Defensively, the Bulldogs are 292nd in college basketball in 3-pointers conceded per game at 8.2. They are 165th in 3-point percentage allowed at 33.6%.
The Bulldogs have covered the spread twice, and are 1-9 overall, over their past 10 contests. Five of Citadel’s last 10 contests have hit the over. In its last 10 games, Citadel is posting 65.8 points per game, 2.5 fewer points than its season average (68.3). The Bulldogs are allowing 74.9 points per contest over their past 10 games, compared to their season average of 74.5 points allowed.
Mercer vs. Citadel Prediction & Pick
Our pick to win this contest is Mercer, and we predict that Citadel will cover the spread (Mercer -6.5). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going over the posted total of 134.5 points.
How to bet Mercer vs. Citadel
You can bet on Mercer vs. Citadel 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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