Mercer came out on top in the Atlantic Sun Tournament, but they'll be up against a much higher level of competition on Friday as they meet No. 3 Duke in Midwest Region action.
Duke is just 1-6-1 ATS in its past eight games and has slumped to a 3-6 ATS mark in its past nine Sportsbook games of the NCAA Tournament. They opened as 10.5-point favorites but the line was -13 early Wednesday at Sportsbook. The total had been bet down to 140.5 according to Sportsbook.
Mercer meanwhile ended with a 21-4 SU run this season, scoring wins over Seton Hall and Ole Miss. They played other big schools tough like Oklahoma and Texas and could cause problems here.
Odds Shark Computer Pick - 74-66 Duke
Duke will face the 26-8 Bears, who own a 2-3 ATS mark on the season. In totals betting, the Blue Devils are 15-18-1 on the OU so far this season while the Bears are 3-2.
View Mercer Bears vs Duke Blue Devils Odds and Stats.
This game puts the Blue Devils, most recently No. 27 in the Odds Shark power rankings, up against the Bears, who rate No. 89 in the latest survey.
Last time out for Mercer, they were a 68-60 Sportsbook as they battled Florida Gulf Coast on the road. They covered in the match as a 1-point underdog. Mercer earned a 68-60 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday, getting 15 points from Langston Hall at Alico Arena.
Duke lost its last outing, a 72-63 result against Virginia on March 16. They failed to cover in that game as a 1.5-point favorite. The Blue Devils endured a 72-63 loss at the hands of the Cavaliers on Sunday, despite a 23-point effort from Jabari Parker at Greensboro Coliseum.
A few Bears at Blue Devils trends to consider:
Duke is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Duke is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Duke's last 10 games
