Thompson-Boling Arena will host Tennessee Volunteers vs. Mercer Bears action on Wednesday as both teams try to pay off for bettors in NCAA basketball betting action.

The Volunteers are 20-12 so far on the season, and 17-12-1 ATS vs. the number. The Bears, meanwhile, are 23-11 and 2-4 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Tennessee go 14-15 and the Bears go 4-1 on the totals.



View Mercer vs Tennessee Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors looking to go with the Volunteers in this one found them listed as 8-point favorites earlier on the NCAA basketball betting menu for Monday's contest. Check for updates as money coming in on the Bears was expected to move the line.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Volunteers at No. 56 and the Bears at No. 136 heading into this contest. Handicapping models at Odds Shark project a 70-67 result in favor of the Bears.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Tennessee's No. 202 nationally ranked offense (66.3 points per game) against a Bears defense that sits as the No. 19 at 58.2 PPG. The Volunteers have been averaging 43.2% from the field, less than the Bears have managed so far this season (43.3% on average).

Defensively, Mercer features the nation's No. 21-rated defense on the road, allowing 61.3 points per game. Tennessee, meanwhile, comes in at No. 198 nationally in scoring at home.

Last time out for Mercer, they were an 88-75 loser as they battled Florida Gulf Coast at home. They failed to cover in the match as a 5-point favorite. The Bears endured an 88-75 loss at the hands of the Eagles on Saturday, despite a 16-point effort from Travis Smith at Mercer University Center.

Tennessee was a 58-48 loser in their most recent outing on the road against Alabama. They failed to cover the 1.5-point spread as favorites. The Volunteers endured a 58-48 loss at the hands of the Crimson Tide on Friday, despite a 16-point effort from Josh Richardson at Bridgestone Arena.


Tennessee Volunteers Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 9-1
After playing Alabama are 7-3
After a loss are 5-5

A few Bears at Volunteers trends to consider:
Tennessee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Tennessee is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tennessee's last 6 games