The Mercer Bears (10-7, 2-2 SoCon) are 9.5-point favorites as they attempt to end a five-game road slide when they take on the VMI Keydets (6-11, 1-3 SoCon) on Thursday, January 15, 2026 at Cameron Hall. The game airs at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The matchup has a point total of 153.5.
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Bet $20, Payout $38.52
Mercer Cover -9.5 vs VMI -108
Mercer vs. VMI betting lines
- Mercer moneyline odds to win: -500
- VMI moneyline odds to win: +375
- Spread: Mercer (-9.5)
- Total: 153.5
Mercer statistics, trends and more
As the away team
- Mercer owns a better record against the spread when playing at home (5-0-0) than it does in road games (7-2-0).
- In home games, the Bears go over the over/under 60% of the time (three of five games). They’ve hit the over in 44.4% of road games (four of nine contests).
Recent trends
- On the offensive side of the ball, the Bears have picked up their production a little bit over their last 10 games, scoring 85.7 points per contest over that span as opposed to the 84.8 they’ve racked up over the course of this season.
- Mercer has been tougher on the defensive side of the ball lately, allowing 71.2 points per game during its past 10 contests compared to the 74.5 points per game its opponents are averaging over the 2025-26 season.
- The Bears’ 9.7 made three-pointers per-game average during their last 10 games are more than the 9.6 they average on the season, but those 10 games have seen a lower percentage of made shots, 34.4% compared to their season-long percentage of 35.0% from beyond the arc.
Mercer betting records this season
- ATS Record: 12-2-0 (Home: 5-0-0; Away: 7-2-0)
- ATS Record When Favored by 9.5+: 2-0-0 (As Favorite: 5-0-0; As Underdog: 7-2-0)
- O-U-P: 7-7-0 (Home: 3-2-0; Away: 4-5-0)
- Record When Moneyline Favorite: 5-0 (Home: 5-0; Away: 0-0)
- Record When Moneyline Underdog: 2-7 (Home: 0-0; Away: 2-7)
| Field Goal % | Opp. Field Goal % | Rebounds | Opp. Rebounds | Assists | Turnovers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46.4 (129th in nation) | 42.0 (94th) | 35.0 (78th) | 34.3 (321st) | 15.2 (121st) | 10.8 (121st) |
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VMI statistics, trends and more
As the home team
- Against the spread, VMI has an identical winning percentage (.500) at home (2-2-0 record) and away (4-4-0).
- Looking at the over/under, Keydets games have gone over 50% of the time this season, both at home (two of four) and on the road (four of eight).
- The Keydets’ winning percentage at home as moneyline underdogs is .500 (2-2), and on the road it is .000 (0-6).
Recent trends
- While the Keydets are averaging 74.5 points per game in 2025-26, they have fallen short of that over their past 10 games, producing 69.2 points per contest.
- In its past 10 games, VMI is ceding 74.3 points per contest, compared to its season average of 75.9 points allowed.
- The Keydets are sinking 1.4 fewer treys per contest over their past 10 games (9.3) compared to their season average (10.7), and they are delivering a lower three-point percentage over their previous 10 contests (29.1%) compared to their season mark (32.1%).
VMI betting records this season
- ATS Record: 6-8-0 (Home: 2-2-0; Away: 4-4-0)
- ATS Record When Underdog by 9.5+: 3-4-0 (As Favorite: 1-1-0; As Underdog: 5-7-0)
- O-U-P: 6-8-0 (Home: 2-2-0; Away: 4-4-0)
- Record When Moneyline Favorite: 1-1 (Home: 0-0; Away: 1-1)
- Record When Moneyline Underdog: 2-10 (Home: 2-2; Away: 0-6)
| Field Goal % | Opp. Field Goal % | Rebounds | Opp. Rebounds | Assists | Turnovers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40.1 (350th in nation) | 44.1 (205th) | 32.9 (189th) | 36.1 (350th) | 12.8 (278th) | 10.1 (67th) |
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