The UAB Blazers and Mercer Bears open the new season at Bartow Arena. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 144 points with UAB set as a 7.5-point favorite.
Mercer Bears vs. UAB Blazers ATS Prediction
Last season, UAB failed to make the tournament following a 20-13 regular season. Mercer also failed to make the tournament after an 18-14 regular season.
When considering effective field goal percentage, UAB should have a noteworthy edge. Last season, the Blazers offense ranked 44th in that metric at 0.545, while the Mercer defense ranked 257th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.522). Moreover, the Bears, who ranked 50th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.279), will face a tough challenge against the Blazers, who ranked 22nd in opponents’ FTA rate (0.183).
Last season, the Bears were 18-14 straight up (SU) and 16-11-1 against the spread (ATS). It’s tough to find a trend for games featuring Mercer last year in regards to the projected point total, as there has been an even split between games finishing over and under.
The Blazers were 20-13 SU last season, but were just 10-18 ATS. Games including UAB had a tendency to finish under the projected point total (64.3 percent).
Mercer Bears vs. UAB Blazers ATS Pick
Pick: SU Winner – UAB, ATS Winner – Mercer, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes (2017-Present):
UAB averages 17.0 assists per game, which ranks 12th in the country. Mercer ranks 250th in assists allowed per game (14.8).
The Blazers rank 91st in blocks per game (3.8) while the Bears rank 266th (1.6).
Mercer ranks 148th in three pointers attempted per game (22.0) while UAB ranks 295th in three pointers allowed per game (25.8).
The Bears are fourth in the NCAA with 29.2 rebounds allowed per game while the Blazers are 23rd with 31.4 rebounds allowed per game.
Mercer ranks 210th in steals per game (5.4) while UAB ranks 219th in steals allowed per game (7.0).
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