Mercer Bears vs Queens (NC) Royals Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Mercer vs Queens (NC) NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Charlotte.

Mercer vs Queens (NC) Prediction

Betting on today's Bears and Royals game? Catch the action at Curry Arena in Charlotte, NC, as the Royals hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 157.5 points, and Queens (NC) is favored by -1.5 at home against Mercer.

Mercer vs. Queens (NC) Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Mercer Bears at Queens (NC) Royals
Where: Charlotte at Curry Arena
Date: Wednesday, December 18th
Betting Odds QUEEN -1.5, MERC +105 | QUEEN -127 O/U 157.5

Bears Preview: Is a Win at Charlotte Possible for the Bears?

Mercer Bears Recent Game/Games

Mercer evened their season record at 4-4 with a 75-63 home win over Chicago State on Sunday. The Bears were -15.5 favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 138 fell short of the O/U line of 150.5.

Mercer led 37-30 at halftime and added 38 points in the 2nd half while holding Chicago State to 33 points after the break.

Bears Offense Breakdown

Mercer's offense put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 43.9% from the field. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 16.7% of their threes (4/24), but were efficient inside, connecting on 59.5% of their two-point attempts (25/42). Their effective field goal percentage was 47%, and they hit 81.2% of their free throws (13/16).

Ahmad Robinson led the way with 25 points, despite missing all 5 of his three-point attempts. Noble Crawford added 20 points and 9 rebounds, hitting 4 of 7 threes and shooting 61.5% overall. He also dished out a team-high 6 assists. Cameron Jernigan contributed 18 points and 7 rebounds, while Troy McKoy Jr. hit 3 threes but shot just 25% overall.

Bears Team Defense

Mercer’s defense gave up 63 points in their last game, with their opponent shooting 43% from the field on 29 of 66 attempts. Inside the arc, the opposing team hit 59% of their two-point shots, going 25 for 42.

From three-point range, Mercer held their opponent to just 16% shooting, with only 4 makes on 24 attempts. The opposing team also went 13 for 16 from the free-throw line, shooting 81%. Mercer allowed 13 offensive rebounds.

Royals Preview: Do the Royals Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?

Queens (NC) Royals Recent Game/Games

The Royals improved to 4-5 on the season with a narrow 85-83 road win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday. Queens entered the game as +5.5 point underdogs and not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.

Queens led 44-36 at halftime but allowed Gardner-Webb to score 47 points in the 2nd half while putting up 41 of their own. The game’s total points reached 168, surpassing the O/U line of 155.5.

Royals Offense Breakdown

Queens put up 85 points in their last game, shooting 56.2% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 66.7%. They knocked down 52.9% of their threes, hitting 9 of 17 attempts, and made 22 of 29 free throws, good for 75.9%.

Leo Colimerio led the way with 27 points, shooting 66.7% overall and 60% from deep. Darryl Simmons II added 23 points, hitting 3 of 6 threes, while Jamaine Mann was nearly perfect, making 7 of 8 shots and finishing with 18 points and 7 rebounds.

Royals Team Defense

Queens (NC) struggled defensively, giving up 83 points while allowing their opponent to shoot 61% from the field. The Royals had particular trouble inside, where they allowed 72% shooting on two-point attempts (24/33).

From beyond the arc, Queens (NC) allowed 8 threes on 19 attempts, a 42% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 22 times, where they hit 11 free throws. The Royals gave up 9 offensive rebounds.

Bears vs Royals Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their ten previous road games, Mercer has an ATS mark of 4-6. Their straight up record in these matchups was 3-7 while averaging 68 points per game.
The Royals are 2-1 ATS in their last three home games and 2-1 straight-up.
Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Bears have a straight up record of 4-6. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.
The Royals have played well in their last three games as the betting favorite, going 3-0 straight up and 3-0 against the spread.