Halftime Report
After a tough loss on the road their last time out, Winthrop looks much better today on their home court. They have jumped out to a quick 44-36 lead against Mercer.
Winthrop came into the match with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.
Who's Playing
Mercer Bears @ Winthrop Eagles
Current Records: Mercer 6-5, Winthrop 9-4
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, December 21, 2024 at 2 p.m. ET
- Where: Winthrop Coliseum -- Rock Hill, South Carolina
- TV: ESPN Plus
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
What to Know
The Winthrop Eagles will take on the Mercer Bears in a holiday battle at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at at Winthrop Coliseum. The Eagles will be looking to keep their five-game home win streak alive.
Winthrop is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Florida State just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Tuesday. The contest between them and the Seminoles wasn't a total blowout, but with Winthrop falling 82-64 on the road it was darn close to turning into one. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Seminoles: they've now lost four in a row.
Bryce Baker put forth a good effort for the losing side as he scored 18 points in addition to five rebounds and two steals. He had some trouble finding his footing against Louisville back in November, so this was a nice turnaround.
Meanwhile, Mercer unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell 73-66 to Queens.
Mercer struggled to work together and finished the game with only seven assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Winthrop's defeat dropped their record down to 9-4. As for Mercer, their loss dropped their record down to 6-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Winthrop has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 41.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Mercer struggles in that department as they've been averaging 39. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Looking ahead, Winthrop is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 8.5 points. For those looking to play the spread, keep Winthrop's opponent in mind: they have a subpar 0-2 record against the spread vs Mercer over their last two matchups.
Odds
Winthrop is a big 8.5-point favorite against Mercer, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 8.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 158.5 points.
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Series History
Winthrop and Mercer both have 1 win in their last 2 games.
- Nov 19, 2022 - Mercer 77 vs. Winthrop 68
- Nov 13, 2021 - Winthrop 88 vs. Mercer 85