The Samford Bulldogs (6-12) are 7.5-point underdogs as they try to stop a five-game losing streak when they visit the Mercer Bears (15-10) on Friday, March 5, 2021 at U.S. Cellular Center (NC). The matchup airs at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN+. The point total for the matchup is set at 149.
Betting Information
| Favorite | Spread | Favorite Spread Odds | Underdog Spread Odds | Total | Over Total Odds | Under Total Odds | Favorite Moneyline | Underdog Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer | -7.5 | -111 | -110 | 149 | -109 | -113 | -359 | 272 |
Total Facts
- The Bears and their opponents have combined to record more than 149 points in 60% of their games this year (15 of 25 opportunities).
- Samford has played in 12 games this year (out of 18 total matchups — 66.7% of chances) where they and their opponents combined to score at least 149 points.
- The two teams average a combined 6.5 more points per game (155.5) than this game’s over/under of 149 points.
- The Bears and the Bulldogs have seen their opponents average a combined 3.5 more points per game than the over/under of 149 set for this game.
- The Bears average point total in outings this season is 151, two points higher than the total in this game.
- The average over/under for Bulldogs games this season is 7.9 more points than the point total of 149 for this outing.
Scoring Betting Tips
- The 77.7 points per game the Bears put up are only 1.4 fewer points than the Bulldogs give up (79.1).
- Mercer has a 10-3 record overall and a 6-0 record against the spread when scoring more than 79.1 points.
- When Samford allows more than 77.7 points, it is 6-5 against the spread and 3-9 overall.
- The Bulldogs average just 4.4 more points per game (77.8) than the Bears allow (73.4).
- In games when it scores more than 73.4 points, Samford is 6-0 against the spread and 5-4 overall.
- Mercer is 1-7 against the spread and 3-6 overall when it allows its opponents to put up more than 77.8 points.
- The Bears have out-scored their opponents by a total of 108 points this season (4.3 points per game on average), and opponents of the Bulldogs have out-scored them by 22 more points on the year (1.3 per game).
Mercer Betting Information
- Mercer has not performed well against the spread this season, posting a 9-13 record.
- The Bears have struggled to cover, going just 2-3 ATS when favored by at least 7.5 points.
- In 12 of 22 (54.5%) contests this season, Mercer and its opponents have hit the over.
Samford Betting Information
- The Bulldogs have a 7-8-1 record against the spread, covering in just 43.8% of their matchups.
- When they are at least 7.5-point underdogs, the Bulldogs have not fared well, going 0-1 against the spread.
- Samford and its opponents have hit the over in fewer than half of their matchups this season — 5 of 16 (31.2%).
Head to Head
| Date | Favorite | Spread | Total | Favorite Moneyline | Underdog Moneyline | Game Type | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/10/2021 | Mercer | -4.5 | 153.5 | -200 | +165 | Regular Season | 77-70 MERC |
| 2/8/2021 | Mercer | -9.5 | 156.5 | -500 | +374 | Regular Season | 89-82 MERC |
| 2/19/2020 | Mercer | -7 | 150 | -320 | +248 | Regular Season | 106-66 MERC |
| 1/18/2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Regular Season | 90-75 MERC |
| 2/21/2019 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Regular Season | 65-62 MERC |
| 1/19/2019 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Regular Season | 93-87 MERC |
Mercer Leaders
- Ross Cummings leads the Bears in scoring, tallying 14.3 points per game to go with 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
- Felipe Haase leads the Bears in rebounding, averaging 7.4 per game, while Neftali Alvarez leads the team in assists, distributing an average of 4.3 in each contest.
- Cummings leads the Bears in three-point shooting with an average of 2.8 threes per game.
- Alvarez is Mercer’s leader in steals, averaging 1.4 steals per game, while Maciej Bender leads them in blocks with 1.4 per contest.
Samford Leaders
- Myron Gordon averages 15.6 points per game to be the top scorer for the Bulldogs.
- The Samford leaders in rebounding and assists are Christian Guess with 9.0 rebounds per game (he also adds 15.1 points and 2.3 assists per game) and Richardson Maitre with 3.1 assists per game (he also tacks on 6.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game).
- A.J. Staton-McCray makes more threes per game than any other member of the Bulldogs, knocking down shots from downtown at a clip of 1.5 per contest.
- Staton-McCray (1.7 steals per game) and Jacob Tryon (0.9 blocks per game) pace the Bulldogs in steals and blocks, respectively.
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