The Western Carolina Catamounts (4-13, 1-3 SoCon) will attempt to snap their seven-game road losing streak in a matchup against the Mercer Bears (5-10, 0-3 SoCon) at Hawkins Arena. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 10, 2019.
Western Carolina Catamounts vs. Mercer Bears Free Prediction
In the Catamounts’ last outing, they were thoroughly outplayed by the Wright State Raiders, 96-73. One of Wright State’s largest strengths was getting to the free throw line. They had 28 free throw attempts, while Western Carolina had 20. Western Carolina’s D.J. Myers played well, putting up 11 points and six rebounds.
The Bears fell to the UAB Blazers in their last contest, 75-67. UAB made good use of their 35 trips to the charity stripe, converting on 29 of them (82.9 percent). Mercer, on the other hand, was 19-25 (76.0 percent). Mercer’s Djordje Dimitrijevic had a good performance, leading both teams in scoring with 19 points on 5-for-10 shooting.
The physical Mercer offense could be living from the foul line in this contest. The Bears currently rank 89th in the country with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.268, while Western Carolina ranks 324th in FTA rate allowed (0.289). Moreover, the Catamounts rank 353rd in turnover percentage (26.5 percent), while the Bears rank 49th in opponents’ turnover percentage (22.7 percent).
After splitting two games last season, these teams will go head-to-head for the first time this year. In the last matchup, the Bears won 81-64. The Bears had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (27.3 vs. 17.2) and had a better free throw rate (0.280 vs. 0.192).
Western Carolina Catamounts at Mercer Bears ATS Pick
College Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Mercer, ATS Winner – Western Carolina, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Western Carolina ranks 40th in three pointers allowed per game (19.6) while Mercer ranks 246th (27.3).
The Bears average 7.3 steals per game, which ranks 74th in the NCAA. The Catamounts rank 170th in steals allowed per game (8.9).
Western Carolina ranks 45th in rebounds allowed per game (32.1) while Mercer ranks 111th (34.5).
Bettings Trends:
The Catamounts’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 10.2, up from 9.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Bears have scored an average of 77.8 points per game (4.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 58.2 points per game (10.7 below their season average).
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