Citadel Bulldogs vs Mercer Bears Prediction, 1/7/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Citadel Bulldogs vs Mercer Bears

Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Location: Hawkins Arena in Macon, GA

TV: ESPN+

The Mercer Bears (8-7) welcome the Citadel Bulldogs (3-12) at Hawkins Arena on Wednesday.

The Citadel Bulldogs stepped onto the hardwood against Wofford and took a loss by a score of 95-86 in their last game. Concerning personal fouls, the Bulldogs ended up with 17 while Wofford had 14 personal fouls. They made 18 out of their 32 tries from downtown. Wofford ended up shooting 75.0% from the charity stripe by making 15 of their 20 tries. Moreover, Wofford snagged 23 boards (9 offensive, 14 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Wofford distributed 20 assists and had 8 steals for this contest. With respect to defending, Citadel let their opponent shoot 50.8% from the field on 31 out of 61 shooting. They also doled out 17 dimes in this contest in addition to forcing 10 turnovers and getting 5 steals. In reference to pulling down rebounds, they earned 27 with 7 of them being of the offensive variety. From the charity stripe, the Bulldogs made 14 of their 16 attempts for a rate of 87.5%. Citadel ended with a 53.6% field goal percentage (30 of 56) and converted 12 of their 24 3-point shots.

Braxton Williams is a player who played a role in this game. He ended up shooting 53.3% from the field and also dished out 4 assists. He played 32 mins and grabbed 4 rebounds. He accumulated 20 points on 8 of 15 shooting.

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Citadel enters this contest with a record of 3-12 this year. They average 69.9 points per outing (317th in Division 1) while hitting 42.6% from the floor. The Bulldogs are hitting 32.4% on three-point shots (142 of 438) and 66.5% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Citadel is pulling down 33.8 boards per game and has accounted for 192 assists for the season, which ranks 289th in Division 1 in terms of passing the ball. They are losing possession via turnover 10.7 times per contest and as a team are committing 16.3 personal fouls every game.

On the defensive end, the Bulldogs are able to force 9.5 turnovers per game and they draw 14.5 fouls. They are ranked 260th in college hoops in allowing assists to the opposition with 216 surrendered on the year. Bulldogs defense is giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 48.1% (410 of 852) and they relinquish 34.9 rebounds per game as a squad. They relinquish 36.6% on 3-pointers and they are 272nd in D-1 in points per game allowed (77.0).

The last time they took the court, the Mercer Bears took a loss by a score of 77-71 when they played East Tennessee State. In regard to how they attacked the glass, Mercer permitted East Tennessee State to grab 34 in all (12 offensive). They went 31.6% from 3-point land by connecting on 6 of 19 and walked away from this one shooting 23 of 27 at the free throw line (85.2%). The Bears permitted East Tennessee State to make 24 of their 57 tries from the floor which had them shooting 42.1% for this contest. In all, the Bears finished the game shooting 25 for 58 from the floor which gave them a rate of 43.1%. In reference to 3-pointers, Mercer buried 9 of their 28 attempts (32.1%). They were able to make 12 of those for a percentage of 70.6%. East Tennessee State earned 20 fouls for this contest which took the Bears to the charity stripe for a total of 17 tries. They gave up possession 13 times, while getting 5 steals in this game. The Bears were able to snag 20 defensive rebounds and 9 offensive boards totaling 29 in this matchup.

Brady Shoulders ended up having an impact for the Bears for the matchup. He accumulated 21 points in his 34 mins on the court and totaled 1 assist for the matchup. He made 7 out of 11 for this contest for a rate of 63.6%, and had 8 rebounds.

Mercer has a win-loss record of 8-7 this season. When it comes to executing on offense, the Bears are connecting on 44.7% from the floor, which has them ranked 227th in the country. Mercer has 1,231 points this season (82.1 per contest) and they collect 39.5 rebounds per contest. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 14.7 times per game (162nd in college hoops) and they are turning it over 10.7 times per game. The Bears are committing 15.7 fouls every game and they connect on 70.0% from the charity stripe.

The Bears on the defensive end are ranked 194th in D-1 in points given up per game with 73.7. They are able to force 14.2 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 41.6% from the floor (86th in college hoops). The Mercer defense allows 30.6% on 3-pointers (114 of 373) and opponents are connecting on 70.7% of their shots from the charity stripe. They concede 12.9 dimes and 40.5 boards on a nightly basis, which ranks 148th and 357th in the nation.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Mercer

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