Planning on watching today’s Paladins and Bears game? Catch the action at Hawkins Arena in Macon, GA, as the Bears hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. Furman is favored by -3.5 in this Southern conference matchup the against Mercer. The over/under for the game is set at 144.5 points.

FURMAN PALADINS VS MERCER BEARS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Mercer Bears +3.5

This game will be played at Hawkins Arena at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, February 7th.

WHY BET THE MERCER BEARS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-69 in favor of the Bears.
  • Not only will Mercer pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +3.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 144.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.

Can the Paladins Grab a Win on the Road?

Despite their 2-game losing streak, Furman has been favored in 12 of their 23 games this season. They are 9-3 as the favorite and 0-7 as the underdog. On the road, the Paladins are just 1-8 compared to their 8-2 record at home. Their average scoring margin on the road is -4.2 compared to +8.2 at home.

In their last game, Furman fell to UNCG by a score of 89-87. Over their last 10 road games, the Paladins have gone just 2-8. So far this season, they are 5-4 in Southern Conference action and 7-7 in non-conference play.

When looking at Furman’s ATS record this season, they are currently 8-11. On the road, their ATS record is 3-6. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Paladins have gone 5-5 vs. the spread.

Today’s over/under line of 144.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Furman’s games this year (156.6). So far, 18 of their games have had a higher over/under line than today’s number. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 159 points and their over/under record during this stretch is 2-1.

The Furman offense is coming off a game in which they scored 87 points vs. UNCG. Overall their field goal percentage was 48.1% while connecting on 12 threes. Marcus Foster was the leading scorer for the Paladins, putting up 26 points. In addition, JP Pegues contributed 25 points.

Coming into the game, Furman will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 77.0 points per game (272nd). So far, the Furman defense is giving up an average of 8.0 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 12.3 times per game (620th).

Will the Bears Win at Home?

At home this season, Mercer has gone 4-5, and their average scoring margin has been -0.4 points per game. Over their last 10 games at home, they have gone 6-4.

So far this season, Mercer has been the underdog in 12 of their 23 games, and their record in those games is 3-9. In their last game, they defeated VMI by a score of 90-69.

As the underdog this season, Mercer is 6-6 vs. the spread. However, their ATS record at home is just 5-4. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Bears are 6-4 vs. the spread.

Today’s over/under line of 144.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Mercer’s games this season (139.4). So far, 11 of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 131 points compared to their season average of 139.2 points per game.

Mercer is coming off a good offensive performance, putting up 90 points vs. VMI. This figure is more than their season average of 69.8 points per game. The team’s top scorer is Jalyn McCreary, who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 14.8, while Jake Davis also maintains a PPG average of 9.6 leading up to the game.

Coming into today’s game, the Mercer defense is giving up an average of 70.0 points per contest. In today’s game vs. Furman, the Mercer defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Mercer made 15 free-throws vs. the Bears.