College hoops betting interest focuses on the North Florida vs Mercer battle Thursday at UNF Arena as the Ospreys look to defend home court and cover the NCAA basketball point spread.

Supporters of the Bears have watched them go 9-7 and 0-3 ATS on the year, while the Ospreys are at 7-10 and 2-0 ATS. In totals betting, the Ospreys are 1-0, while the Bears have a 2-0 mark.



View Mercer vs North Florida Odds and Stats.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
This game puts the Ospreys, most recently No. 199 in the Odds Shark power rankings, up against the Bears, who rate No. 184 in the latest survey. Meanwhile, math and computer-based handicapping simulations run on this game predict a potential 68-61 victory for the Bears.



How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and Bears is ranked No. 279 in NCAA hoops at 32.3 per game. Contrast that with North Florida’s No. 290 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, North Florida is the No. 40-ranked team in the country at 8.1 per game, while Mercer rates No. 104 at 6.8 per game.

Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Mercer owns the country's No. 70-rated mark, allowing 64.4 points per game on the highway. North Florida, on the other hand, rates No. 180 in scoring at home.

In their last action, Mercer was an 83-75 loser on the road against Kennesaw State. The Bears endured an 83-75 loss at the hands of the Owls on Saturday, despite an 18 -point effort from Travis Smith at KSU Convocation Center.

North Florida lost its last outing, a 75-73 result against Florida Gulf Coast on January 7. Parker Smith scored 20 points in a futile effort to lead the Ospreys to a win (they lost 75-73 to Florida Gulf Coast at Alico Arena on Monday).

Next up:
Mercer at Jacksonville, Saturday, January 12
North Florida home to Kennesaw State, Saturday, January 12