Kennesaw State Owls vs. Mercer Bears ATS Odds

betdsiArticles, Basketball, College Basketball

The Kennesaw State Owls (3-9) will attempt to snap a seven-game road losing streak when they clash against the Mercer Bears (6-6) at Hawkins Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 28, 2017.

Kennesaw State Owls vs. Mercer Bears Betting Preview

In the Owls last matchup, they defeated the Samford Bulldogs, 71-66. With 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Kennesaw State’s Kosta Jankovic played well. Kennesaw State dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a free throw rate of 0.214 (matching their season average) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 32.1 (above their season average of 29.3). Samford put up marks of 0.031 and 20.6, respectively, for those same stats.

The Bears are trying to rebound after their 80-79 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in their last game. With 21 points, Ria’n Holland had a good game for Mercer. Alabama had an offensive rebounding percentage of 37.8 (above their season average of 29.1). Mercer, on the other hand, held the Crimson Tide to an effective field goal percentage of 0.500 (below their season average of 0.551).

The prolific offense of Mercer will clash against the porous defense of Kennesaw State. The Bears currently rank 30th in offensive efficiency, while the Owls are 291st in defensive efficiency. The Bears should have the advantage on that side of the ball.

This is the first time these teams will battle this year, after the Bears won the only game last season, 80-76. The Bears played a nearly perfect game. They had a fantastic offensive rebounding percentage of 50.0 and an extraordinary effective field goal percentage of 0.694. For those same stats, the Owls had marks of 28.6 and 0.582, respectively.

Kennesaw State Owls vs. Mercer Bears Odds Prediction

Predictions: SU Winner – Mercer, ATS Winner – Mercer, O/U – Under

Betting Notes:

  • The Bears rank 62nd in assists per game (15.9) while the Owls rank 155th in assists allowed per game (14.2).
  • Mercer ranks 19th in rebounds allowed per game (30.6) while Kennesaw State ranks 201st (37.4).
  • The Bears rank 112th in three pointers attempted per game (23.1) while the Owls rank 255th (16.3).
  • Mercer ranks 15th in steals allowed per game (4.8) while Kennesaw State ranks 114th (6.8).

Bettings Trends:

  • The Bears have been outscored by an average of 3.8 points in their last five games. For the season, Mercer has defeated opponents by an average of 10.8 points.
  • During their last five games, the Owls have scored an average of 65.6 points per game (2.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 73.2 points per game (3.4 below their season average).