Mercer Bears vs Furman Paladins Prediction, 12/31/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Mercer Bears vs Furman Paladins

Date: Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Location: Timmons Arena in Greenville, SC

TV: ESPN+

The Mercer Bears (7-5) are traveling to Timmons Arena on Wednesday where they will attempt to defeat the Furman Paladins (9-4).

The Mercer Bears faced off with Washington State and took a loss by a score of 84-78 in their last game. Mercer walked away from the contest with a 42.7% FG percentage (32 of 75) and made 7 of their 27 3-pointers. From the charity stripe, the Bears made 7 of 14 attempts for a percentage of 50.0%. Pertaining to pulling down boards, they earned 35 with 12 of them being of the offensive sort. They also distributed 13 dimes in this game while creating 13 turnovers and getting 7 steals. In regard to defense, Mercer allowed the other team to go 53.6% from the field on 30 of 56 shooting. Washington State earned 12 assists and had 8 steals for the contest. Furthermore, Washington State collected 33 rebounds (3 offensive, 30 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. Washington State went 65.0% at the charity stripe by knocking down 13 of 20 attempts. They knocked down 11 out of their 23 tries from distance. In reference to fouls, the Bears left the arena with 19 while Washington State recorded 16 fouls.

Baraka Okojie is a player who had an impact for the contest. He was able to score 24 points on 10 of 20 shooting. He played for 34 mins and also totaled 2 boards. He finished 50.0% from the floor and also recorded 2 assists.

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Mercer will enter this matchup with a record of 7-5 for the campaign. They lose possession by turning the ball over 10.8 times per game and as a team are committing 15.4 fouls every game. As a unit, Mercer is grabbing 37.9 rebounds per game and has accumulated 170 dimes for the campaign, which ranks 251st in the country in terms of passing the rock. The Bears are connecting on 32.6% on 3-point shots (106 of 325) and 69.0% from the charity stripe. They are averaging 80.5 pts per contest (119th in the nation) while going 44.6% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Bears are forcing their opponents into 14.3 turnovers per game and they draw 18.1 personal fouls. They surrender 32.2% on shots from beyond the perimeter and they rank 233rd in the country in PPG allowed (75.5). The Bears are giving up a field goal percentage of 43.5% (336 of 773) and they concede 40.3 boards per contest as a team. They rank 152nd in the nation in giving up assists with 163 conceded on the campaign.

When they last played, the Furman Paladins went home victorious with a score of 84-76 against Charleston Southern. With respect to rebounding, Furman allowed Charleston Southern to grab 38 in all (8 offensive). They finished the game shooting 26.5% from distance via 9 out of 34 and ended up going 5 out of 9 from the free throw line (55.6%). The Paladins allowed Charleston Southern to bury 31 out of their 72 attempts from the floor which had them shooting 43.1% for the matchup. When the game finished, the Paladins shot 27 for 61 from the field which had them at 44.3%. In relation to shots from 3-point land, Furman made 10 of their 25 tries (40.0%). They were able to knock down 20 of those for a percentage of 76.9%. Charleston Southern earned 21 personal fouls in this contest which took the Paladins to the free throw line for 26 attempts. They also gave up possession 8 times, while getting 7 steals for the game. The Paladins were able to snag 31 defensive boards and 7 offensive boards for a total of 38 in this matchup.

Asa Thomas ended up being important for the Paladins in the game. He earned 25 points in his 36 minutes on the hardwood and had 4 dimes in the game. He buried 8 of 14 in this contest giving him a rate of 57.1%, and had 7 rebounds.

Furman has a record of 9-4 so far this season. The Paladins are responsible for committing 13.9 personal fouls every game while shooting 64.6% from the free throw line. They are dishing out assists 17.3 times per game (56th in Division 1) and they cough up possession 12.9 times per contest. Furman has totaled 1,022 points so far this season (78.6 per contest) and they average 39.8 rebounds per game. As an offense, the Paladins are hitting on 48.6% from the floor, which is 62nd in college hoops.

The Furman defense allows 31.8% on shots from distance (107 of 336) and their opposition knocks down 71.1% of their free throw attempts. They allow 13.2 assists and 31.4 total boards per game, which is 168th and 57th in the country. The Paladins on the defensive side of the court are 114th in college in PPG surrendered with 70.4. They have forced 10.5 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 42.7% from the field (150th in college).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Furman

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