The Citadel vs Mercer Prediction 1/7/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Citadel Bulldogs and the Mercer Bears meet Wednesday in college basketball action from Hawkins Arena in Macon. Here’s a Citadel vs Mercer prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Citadel vs Mercer pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

The Citadel Bulldogs Betting Preview

The Citadel limped to a 3-7 run over their first 10 games this year, losing to Boston College, Charleston Southern, West Georgia, Bellarmine, Houston Christian, Presbyterian and Davidson in that time. Since then it’s been losses to South Carolina, Charleston, Richmond, East Tennessee State and Wofford, giving the Bulldogs a rough 3-12 record over their first 15 games.

In the Wofford game over the weekend the Bulldogs entered the second half with a 42-35 deficit. The Citadel didn’t get any closer than that on a 53-51 run and took the loss in the end 95-86. Both Braxton Williams (four assists) and Christian Moore (two rebounds) had 20 points to top the team, while Carter Kingsbury had 16 points with six assists and four rebounds.

Mercer Bears Betting Preview

Over on the Mercer side, they were able to win seven of their first nine games this year. The only losses in that time were versus Tennessee and Winthrop. Since then it’s been a rough 1-5 run however, as the Bears have fallen versus Clemson, Central Florida, Washington State, Furman and East Tennessee State. That gives Mercer an 8-7 run over 15 games this year.

Matched up against East Tennessee State back on Saturday, the Bears were in the locker room with a 35-32 edge. Mercer was outscored 45-36 the rest of the way however, leading to a 77-71 loss in the end. Brady Shoulders put up 21 points with eight rebounds to lead the way, and Baraka Okojie had 15 points. Zaire Williams chipped in 13 points in the loss as well.

The Citadel Bulldogs @ Mercer Bears Betting Trends: January 7, 2026

Why the Mercer Bears will win

• The Citadel has lost each of its last 24 games against the Southern Conference.
• Mercer has won each of its last seven games at Hawkins Arena.
• Mercer has won the first half in 13 of its last 14 games against The Citadel.

Why the The Citadel Bulldogs will win

• Mercer has lost five of its last six games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

The Citadel vs Mercer Prediction

I’ll lean toward Mercer. The Bears could use a solid performance—not to mention a win—and this is a good spot to get it. Mercer slowed down in the second half of their last game versus ETSU, eventually shooting 43.1 percent from the field with a 34-29 rebounding deficit and 13 turnovers. The Bears held the Bucs to 42.1 percent shooting on the other side but got burned by a good ETSU performance at the line (23-of-27 for 85.2 percent). Mercer has scored 71 or more points in four straight games (a 1-3 run) but they’re giving up a lot on the other side.

As for the Citadel, they shot 53.6 percent from the field, 50 percent (12-of-24) from outside and 87.5 percent (14-of-16) from the line but it wasn’t enough to overcome 13 turnovers and a hot shooting day from Wofford. The Bulldogs have given up 69 or more points in each of their last 10 games (a 1-9 run) so Mercer should have plenty of scoring opportunities here.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Mercer Bears -16.5