Earning a win and covering the posted spread will be the goals for USC Upstate when they take on the Mercer Bears on Friday in college hoops betting action.

This is a conference playoff game in the Atlantic Sun Tournament.

The Bears bring a 22-10 record (1-3 ATS) to this tilt against the 16-16 Spartans, who are 1-0 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have witnessed Mercer go 2-1 so far and the Spartans go 0-1.



View USC Upstate vs Mercer Odds and Stats.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
This game puts the Bears, most recently No. 141 in the Odds Shark power rankings, up against the Spartans, who rate No. 107 in the latest survey. Meanwhile, math and computer-based handicapping simulations run on this game predict a potential 73-69 victory for the Bears.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Mercer's No. 241 nationally ranked offense (64.9 points per game) against a Spartans defense that sits as the No. 168 at 66.3 PPG. The Bears have been averaging 43.4% from the field, less than the Spartans have managed so far this season (44.5% on average).

Defensively, USC Upstate features the nation's No. 166-rated defense on the road, allowing 69.3 points per game. Mercer, meanwhile, comes in at No. 202 nationally in scoring at home.

In their last action, USC Upstate was a 76-62 Sportsbook on the road against Jacksonville. They covered the 6-point spread as favorites. The Spartans grabbed a 76-62 win over the Dolphins on Thursday, behind a 17-point effort from Torrey Craig at Mercer University Center.

Mercer was an 82-48 Sportsbook in its last match at home against Lipscomb. They covered the 14-point spread as favorites. The Bears blew out Lipscomb on Wednesday, running up a 20+ point victory in an 82-48 win at Mercer University Center.