The Mercer Bears started conference play with a solid 3-1 record and are looking to close out a three-game homestand against the Kennesaw State Owls with another victory on Friday night. The Bears are one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation and have looked awfully impressive through the first 17 games of the season. The team is currently second place in the Atlantic Sun standings, but it also owns the best overall record of any conference school.

Kennesaw State got off to a rough start to the college basketball year by losing its first three games in a row and never really gaining its footing on the season. Prior to the Owls most recent win against USC Upstate, the team had lost an embarrassing eight straight games—all of them by double-digits. The team will be looking to at least stay competitive against Mercer during Friday night’s matchup.

Kennesaw State at Mercer Betting Story Lines

Mercer is quietly ranked in the Top 40 of four major categories. The team is 26th in the nation in points scored with an average of 81.9 per game, 36th in rebounds with 39.6 per game, 15th in assists with 17 per game and 40th in field goal percentage at .483. The squad also shoots .736 from the free throw line and .371 from beyond the arc.

The Bears are being led by the 14.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game from guard Langston Hall. The team has two other double-digit scores to go along with 12 of its 14 players averaging at least two points or more. Mercer is coming off a 10-point victory over East Tennessee State on Monday. The squad held its opponent to 39 percent shooting from the field and 23 percent from the 3-point line. Hall had a team-best 19 points and was 10-for-10 from the free throw line.

Kennesaw State only has four wins on the season and just recently ended a ridiculous eight-game losing streak with a win over USC Upstate on Monday. The team is ranked 331st in the nation in points with only 63.5 per game, 294th in rebounds with 32.6 per game and 319th in field goal percentage. The Owls only have two double-digits scorers and are being led by the 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds of sophomore Orlando Coleman.

Kennesaw State at Mercer NCAA Betting Odds and Key Trends

Mercer opened as a 18-point favorite over the underdog Owls.  Kennesaw State is 10-1 ATS over its last 11 road games and 7-1 ATS against the Atlantic Sun Conference. The team is also 11-4 ATS in its last 15 overall games and 6-2 ATS during its last eight matchups against teams with winning SU records. Mercer is 3-1-1 ATS over its last five home games, 2-6-2 during its last nine overall games and 1-3-1 ATS over its last five conference games. The Bears are also 1-4-1 ATS against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400.

Free College Basketball Picks: Kennesaw State at Mercer Predictions

Kennesaw State is very bad team that struggles to score points. The team may be coming off a 10-point victory, but by the looks of things it might start another extended losing streak against Mercer on Friday. The spread is big, but there is no reason to expect Kennesaw State to be able to score points with the fast-paced Bears. The Owls have lost their last three games by 25, 20 and 16 points. Expect a Mercer blowout in this matchup.

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Read more articles by George Monroy