1. NCAAB
  2. Thu, Nov 12
  3. MER @ WVU
NCAAB · Thu, Nov 12

Mercer Bears at West Virginia Mountaineers

Hope Coliseum · at West Virginia
#242MERMercer
@
#47WVUWest Virginia
LineNo line yet 
Total— 
MERThis seasonWVU
0-0Record0-0
0-0ATS0-0
0-0O/U0-0

ATS = covered-didn’t-push · O/U = overs-unders

Model: projects WVU 84–61 · win probability WVU 97%
Pick this game
Your picksMy picks ›
Winner
Line
—
no line yet
Total
—
model 145.2
Model edge
—
No market line yet
Public
—
No split yet for this game
The model has not beaten the closing line: with an edge of 3 or more it went 409-367 in 2025-26. Model record

What could decide it: WVU has more of the edges

MER 1, WVU 5 · 2025-26 numbers until both teams have played three games
WVUBig
MER offense vs WVU defense
Offense 223rd of 366 against a defense 19th, on the model’s ratings
WVUBig
WVU offense vs MER defense
Offense 77th of 366 against a defense 268th, on the model’s ratings
Context
Schedule so far
MER has played the 193rd-hardest schedule, WVU the 62nd. A record against a soft schedule means less
Context
Tempo
About 67 possessions: MER plays 69.5 a game (148th fastest), WVU 65.3 (336th). Faster games mean more points
WVUSmall
Rebounding
Offensive rebound rate: MER 32.6%, WVU 30.5%. Defensive: MER 66.8%, WVU 71.4%
WVUSmall
Shooting
Effective FG%: MER 53.1 and allows 52.5; WVU 51.6 and allows 48.5
WVUSmall
Home court
WVU at home. This season: WVU 0-0 at home, MER 0-0 away
MERSmall
Free throws
Free throw rate: MER 39.2, WVU 35.1. Allowed: MER 29.7, WVU 29.3
Even
Turnovers
Turnover rate: MER 15.0%, WVU 16.8%. Forced: MER 17.0%, WVU 17.8%
Even
Three-pointers
MER hits 35.6% and allows 36.2%; WVU hits 33.0% and allows 34.3%. Threes are 39.2% and 43.0% of their shots
Even
Who is back
Minutes back from last season: MER 28%, WVU 23%. Transfers in: MER 2, WVU 6. Early in a season, turnover makes teams harder to price
Sorted by how lopsided each matchup is, from national ranks. Reasons to look, not picks: the market already knows most of this.

Market

Open → current
Spread
Opening line not available
Total
 
Moneyline
—

Pre-game lines only (ESPN, DraftKings first). After tip-off the line shown is the closing line.

Model vs market

MarketModelModel edge
Spread—WVU -22.4—
Total—145.2—
Projected score—MER 61.4 · WVU 83.8

1st-half model

1st-half slate ›
ModelActual
1H spreadWVU -13.2—
1H total67.9—
1H projected scoreMER 27.4 · WVU 40.6—
The 1st-half model is fitted from the full-game model and past halves. ESPN has no 1st-half lines for college games, so there is no market to compare it with.

West Virginia has the better starters

Position by position: Mercer 0, West Virginia 3, even 2
MercerBetterWest Virginia
G B. Shoulders9.5 pts · 6.6 reb · 1.8 ast Score 41
WVUBig
G F. Bizjack TR17.1 pts · 2.2 reb · 2.5 ast Score 88
G Q. Perkins8.7 pts · 1.4 reb · 1.6 ast Score 22
WVUSmall
G S. Traore TR9 pts · 3.4 reb · 2 ast Score 46
F K. Steele TR8 pts · 4.4 reb · 0.9 ast Score 62
Even
G M. Somerville TR8 pts · 3 reb · 2.4 ast Score 54
F M. Mabor Makoi TR1.4 pts · 2.4 reb · 0.1 ast Score 10
WVUBig
F B. Lorient11.9 pts · 5.2 reb · 1.9 ast Score 91
F P. Padegimas NEWNo Division I numbers yet Not ranked
No call
F J. Buchanan TR12.8 pts · 5.1 reb · 1.6 ast Score 89
MercerBetterWest Virginia
MER offense223rd of 366 · -6.8
WVUBig
WVU defense19th of 366 · +5.5
MER defense268th of 366 · -6.8
WVUBig
WVU offense77th of 366 · +0.9
Backcourt-3.4 · 2 players
WVUBig
Backcourt+1.3 · 3 players
Frontcourt-0.6 · 3 players
WVUBig
Frontcourt+6.2 · 2 players
BenchNo numbers yet
No call
Bench+1.6 · 3 players
Score, worst to bestMER betterWVU betterTR transfer · NEW no Division I numbers
Projected starters: college teams publish no depth chart, so these come from minutes played, and a freshman or a new starter can change them. The score is the share of ranked players at the position that player is ahead of. Numbers are this season's once a player has 30 minutes, 2025-26's before that. Bench is the next five by minutes. Tap a player for the full numbers.

Depth chart

Projected rotation by position, starters outlined
Mercer
Guards
B. Shoulders32 minQ. Perkins24 minM. KoveosNewD. BarrNewH. LyttleNewK. LamonteNew
Forwards
K. Steele21 min · TRM. Mabor Makoi8 min · TRP. PadegimasNewS. MayhughNewD. KovacevicNew
West Virginia
Guards
F. Bizjack34 min · TRS. Traore29 min · TRM. Somerville26 min · TRJ. Sanon21 min · TRA. Jenkins16 minM. FeenaneNew
Forwards
B. Lorient29 minJ. Buchanan28 min · TRM. OlejaszNew
Centers
M. Sylla21 min · TRA. DioumNewA. SeiniNew
In order of minutes, from rosters as of today. ESPN lists players only as guards, forwards or centers, and no injury report exists for college basketball, so a player who is out may still show here.
Showing 2025-26 until both teams have played this season.

Matchup stats

2025-26 · rank among 365 teams
Scoring
Shooting
Possessions
Defense
MERWVU
Scoring
80.1 #65Points per game70.6 #271
1.15 #55Points per possession1.08 #183
69.5 #148Pace (possessions)65.3 #336
Shooting
53.1 #98Effective FG%51.6 #166
35.6 #873-point %33.0 #227
39.2 #1883-point attempt rate43.0 #118
39.2 #74Free throw rate35.1 #173
Possessions
15.0 #67Turnover rate16.8 #188
32.6 #102Offensive rebound rate30.5 #178
12.7 #240Assists per game12.8 #228
Defense
77.8 #263Points allowed65.7 #11
1.12 #273Points allowed per possession1.01 #34
52.5 #242Opponent effective FG%48.5 #50
36.2 #311Opponent 3-point %34.3 #201
17.0 #155Turnovers forced17.8 #108
66.8 #303Defensive rebound rate71.4 #86
7.1 #115Steals per game6.3 #195
3.2 #186Blocks per game3.1 #204
From the box scores. A longer bar is a better national rank, on every row; the better team's bar is solid. A green rank is near the top of Division I, a red one near the bottom. Pace and 3-point rate are styles, so they have no better side.

Mercer

16-13 in 2025-26 overall · 11-8 in conference · Southern Conference

Last five, 2025-26
  • Lvs W Carolina73–77
  • Wvs ETSU82–76
  • L@ W Carolina74–78
  • Wvs Samford89–86
  • Lvs Chattanooga90–94

A week or more of rest.

West Virginia

21-14 in 2025-26 overall · 9-10 in conference · Big 12 Conference

Last five, 2025-26
  • Wvs Oklahoma89–82
  • Wvs Creighton87–70
  • Wvs Stanford82–77
  • Lvs BYU48–68
  • Wvs UCF77–62

A week or more of rest.