The Mercer Bears (14-8, 6-3 SoCon) are heavily favored (by 17.5 points) to build on a 10-game home winning streak when they host the VMI Keydets (6-16, 1-8 SoCon) on Saturday, January 31, 2026 at 2 p.m. ET. The matchup’s over/under is 155.5.
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Bet $20, Payout $38.02
Mercer Cover -17.5 vs VMI -111
Mercer vs. VMI betting lines
- Mercer moneyline odds to win: -2778
- VMI moneyline odds to win: +1200
- Spread: Mercer (-17.5)
- Total: 155.5
Mercer statistics, trends and more
As the home team
- Mercer has done a better job covering the spread in home games (7-0-0) than it has in road games (9-3-0).
- At home, the Bears exceed the over/under 71.4% of the time (five of seven games). They’ve hit the over in 41.7% of road games (five of 12 contests).
- When playing at home, Mercer has won more often as a moneyline favorite, putting up a record of 7-0 (1.000). In away games, it is 2-1 (.667) as a moneyline favorite.
Recent trends
- The Bears have seen an increase in scoring recently, putting up 91.4 points per game in their last 10 outings, 5.9 points more than the 85.5 they’ve scored this year.
- Mercer has been more stingy on defense as of late, giving up 75.2 points per game over its last 10 contests compared to the 75.4 points per game its opponents average over the 2025-26 season.
- During their past 10 contests, the Bears are making 0.7 more three-pointers per game than their season long average (10.1 compared to 9.4 season-long), while also shooting a higher percentage from beyond the arc in that span (36.7% compared to 34.5% season-long).
Mercer betting records this season
- ATS Record: 16-3-0 (Home: 7-0-0; Away: 9-3-0)
- O-U-P: 10-9-0 (Home: 5-2-0; Away: 5-7-0)
- Record When Moneyline Favorite: 9-1 (Home: 7-0; Away: 2-1)
- Record When Moneyline Underdog: 2-7 (Home: 0-0; Away: 2-7)
| Field Goal % | Opp. Field Goal % | Rebounds | Opp. Rebounds | Assists | Turnovers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46.6 (105th in nation) | 42.3 (95th) | 35.1 (64th) | 33.3 (301st) | 14.9 (128th) | 10.7 (132nd) |
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VMI statistics, trends and more
As the away team
- VMI has performed better against the spread on the road (4-6-0) than at home (2-5-0) this season.
- Looking at the over/under, Keydets games have finished over more frequently at home (four of seven, 57.1%) than away (four of 10, 40%).
- In 2025-26 when moneyline underdogs, the Keydets have a better winning percentage at home (.333, 2-4 record) than away (.000, 0-8).
Recent trends
- Over their previous 10 games, the Keydets are putting up 66.9 points per contest, 5.6 fewer points than their season average (72.5).
- VMI has fared worse defensively over its previous 10 games, giving up 80.8 points per contest, 3.4 more points than its season average of 77.4.
- The Keydets are making 1.0 fewer treys per game over their previous 10 games (9.7) compared to their season average (10.7), and they are delivering a lower three-point percentage over their previous 10 contests (32.4%) compared to their season mark (32.8%).
VMI betting records this season
- ATS Record: 6-13-0 (Home: 2-5-0; Away: 4-6-0)
- ATS Record When Underdog by 17.5+: 1-1-0 (As Favorite: 1-2-0; As Underdog: 5-11-0)
- O-U-P: 8-11-0 (Home: 4-3-0; Away: 4-6-0)
- Record When Moneyline Favorite: 1-2 (Home: 0-1; Away: 1-1)
- Record When Moneyline Underdog: 2-14 (Home: 2-4; Away: 0-8)
| Field Goal % | Opp. Field Goal % | Rebounds | Opp. Rebounds | Assists | Turnovers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40.1 (353rd in nation) | 44.8 (236th) | 31.0 (259th) | 36.9 (361st) | 12.1 (310th) | 9.8 (51st) |
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