Teams looking to get back on track meet when the South Alabama Jaguars face the Mercer Bears in non-conference action on Wednesday morning. The Jaguars (4-5), who tied for seventh in the Sun Belt with Georgia Southern and Appalachian State at 9-9 and were 19-16 overall in 2022-23, have dropped two games in a row. The Bears (2-5), who were eighth in the Southern Conference at 6-12 and 14-19 overall a year ago, have also lost two straight. South Alabama is coming off a 70-52 loss at Jacksonville State on Thursday, while Mercer fell at Georgia 80-69 on Friday.

Tipoff from Hawkins Arena in Macon, Ga., is set for 11 a.m. ET. South Alabama leads the all-time series 3-1, but have not met since 1976. The Bears are 3-point favorites in the latest South Alabama vs. Mercer odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 132.5. Before making any Mercer vs. South Alabama picks, you’ll want to see the predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 5 of the 2023-24 season on a 98-61 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $2,000 for $100 players. It is also off to a 10-2 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on South Alabama vs. Mercer. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the Mercer vs. South Alabama:

• South Alabama vs. Mercer spread: Mercer -3
• South Alabama vs. Mercer over/under: 132.5 points
• South Alabama vs. Mercer money line: South Alabama +126, Mercer -148
• SA: The Jaguars have hit the game total under in 10 of their last 17 away games (+2.10 units)
• MER: The Bears have hit the first-half money line in their last five games at home (+5.35 units)
• South Alabama vs. Mercer picks: See picks at SportsLine 

Why Mercer can cover

Senior forward Jalyn McCreary helps power the Bears. He has reached double-digit scoring in each of the last two games, and in six of seven games this season. In the loss to Georgia, he scored 15 points, grabbed four steals and had three rebounds. His best game was an 18-point and six-rebound performance in a 66-61 win over Chicago State on Nov. 9. For the year, he is averaging 13.7 points, five rebounds, 1.6 steals and one block.

Senior guard Robby Carmody is also having a solid season and has scored 10 or more points in four of seven games. His best performance was an 18-point, four-rebound and three-assist effort at Chicago State. He also scored 15 points and grabbed three rebounds in a 60-59 win over Tennessee State on Nov. 24. Carmody, who is in his first season with the team after spending the past four years at Notre Dame, is averaging 10.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 23.6 minutes of action. See who to back at SportsLine.

Why South Alabama can cover

Three Jaguars players are averaging double-digit scoring, including senior guard Isiah Gaiter, who is in his first year with the program. He has scored 10 or more points in seven of nine games, including a 24-point effort in two games. The last was in an 86-74 win over SIU Edwardsville on Nov. 19. He narrowly missed a double-double in a 74-62 win over Lynn on Nov. 21. Gaiter is averaging 15 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and one steal in 34.1 minutes of action.

Also powering South Alabama is sophomore forward Julian Margrave. In six games, he has reached double-digit scoring in three, including a 22-point effort in a win over SIU-Edwardsville. For the year, he is averaging 11.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 28.2 minutes of action. He is connecting on 48.1% of his shots from the floor, including 40.5% from 3-point range. See who to back at SportsLine.

How to make South Alabama vs. Mercer picks

The model has simulated Mercer vs. South Alabama 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Mercer vs. South Alabama, and which side of the spread is the better value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 98-61 roll on its top-ranked college basketball picks, and find out.