Wright State vs Detroit Mercy – Best Bets for Horizon Championship (March 10)

Published: March 10, 2026 at 4:06 pm EDT

Wright State faces Detroit Mercy for the Horizon League title tonight. — Nov 4, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Wright State Raiders head coach Clint Sargent talks to his players during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Why Wright State is heavily backed to cover the 3.5-point spread
Critical statistical mismatches make targeting the Over our premier expert recommendation
Our detailed analysis provides the best bets for Wright State vs. Detroit Mercy in Horizon title game

Top seed Wright State and No. 3 seed Detroit Mercy split their two regular-season games this season — each team winning a nail-biter on the other team’s home court.

Tonight, they’ll square off for the third time — with everything on the line in the Horizon League Tournament championship. Tip-off is set for 7 pm, ET (ESPN).

Neither team has an RPI high enough to warrant an at-large bid, which makes tonight’s title game the only path into the NCAA Tournament.

With Michael Cooper pacing the favorites and Orlando Lovejoy anchoring the underdog attack, this neutral-site showdown presents a fascinating stylistic clash.

Our detailed analysis breaks down the key metrics, trends and matchups, and offers the best bets for the Horizon League title game on March 10.

Detroit Mercy vs Wright State Best Bets

The Pick: Wright State -3.5 (-110 at Bet365)

When breaking down this Horizon League title game, the offensive discrepancy established during the regular season dictates the expected game script. Wright State brings a relentless scoring attack to the hardwood (81.2 PPG during the regular season) one of the most explosive units in the conference. That sheer volume is spearheaded by Michael Cooper, who was a highly efficient threat from beyond the arc all year. Flanked by TJ Burch, this multifaceted offense forces opponents into exhausting defensive rotations.

Detroit Mercy possesses the personnel to keep things interesting. Orlando Lovejoy facilitates the half-court sets throughout its 15-14 regular-season run. In the paint, Legend Geeter and rim-protector Ryan Kalambay will be tasked with locking down the interior. However, matching pace for a full 40 minutes against a team that comfortably sat atop the regular-season conference standings with a 15-5 mark is a monumental challenge. Wright State was a highly profitable 16-5 straight up against teams ranked 151 or lower in the NCAA RPI during the regular season, consistently punishing lower-tier squads.

The Pick: Over 150.5 ($0.56 per contract at Kalshi)

The prediction site Kalshi offers multiple totals for tonight’s Horizon League game.

Targeting the Over 150.5 contract ($0.56 per) is the strongest play on the board. Both regular-season games exceeded this total.

The betting line has ticked down slightly from an opening total of 153.5, presenting immediate value. Both squads feature highly efficient shooting profiles that lend themselves to a high-scoring environment. Detroit Mercy’s Tyler Spratt is knocking down 55.6% of his 3P attempts, providing critical floor spacing. On the interior, Wright State’s Michael Imariagbe converts a staggering 88.9% of his two-point attempts.

If you don’t already have an account at Kalshi, click “PREDICT” in the graphic below to claim SBD’s exclusive Kalshi referral code. (If you already use Kalshi, try out SBD’s Novig promo code or check out our full list of prediction markets.)

Prediction Markets

Detroit Mercy vs Wright State Horizon Championship

Learn more about Prediction Markets

Kalshi

Wright St.

64%

Detroit Mercy

39%

Predict

Horizon League Championship Public Betting Splits

Analyzing college basketball public betting splits provides a clearer picture of where both casual fans and large bankrolls are placing their capital.

On the moneyline, the public is overwhelmingly backing Wright State to cut down the nets. A massive 88.62% of the tickets are siding with the favorites, and the financial backing reflects that confidence, with 60.28% of the total money (stake) placed on their sideline. Conversely, Detroit Mercy is drawing just 11.38% of the bets, though those sparse tickets account for an outsized 39.72% of the money. While this jump in stake percentage shows some larger wagers taking a flyer on the underdog, it falls short of a true sharp-versus-public divide since the majority of both ticket count and handle remains strictly on the favorite.

The Over/Under market tells a story of absolute consensus. A staggering 82.14% of the betting tickets predict an offensive showcase, firmly backing the OVER. Relying on the money percentage—the premier metric for identifying serious action—the market conviction holds steady, with the Over commanding 82.79% of the overall stake. Because the financial backing mirrors the ticket count so closely, it strongly validates our official recommendation to target Over 151.5 points.

Detroit Mercy vs Wright State Stats

Statistic	Wright State	Detroit Mercy
RPI Rating	113	202
Strength of Schedule (SOS)	0.4983	0.4715
Adjusted Winning % (AWP)	0.6452	0.5474
Opponents’ Winning % (OWP)	0.5054	0.4610
Opp. Opponents’ Win % (OOWP)	0.4842	0.4925
Record vs. Rank 1-50	0-1	0-1
Record vs. Rank 51-100	0-4	1-2
Record vs. Rank 101-150	4-1	2-4
Record vs. Rank 151+	16-5	12-7

Wright State holds a noticeably tougher Strength of Schedule (0.4983) and has faced competition with a higher combined winning percentage (0.5054 OWP). They have built their 22-11 overall record by dominating the lower tiers of the RPI, setting up a steep uphill battle for a Detroit Mercy team currently ranked 209th nationally. This tempo contrast directly supports laying the 3.5 points with the favorites.

Detroit Mercy vs Wright State Odds

Here is a look at the current betting lines for this Horizon League championship matchup:

Moneyline: Wright State -182 / Detroit Mercy +151
Spread: Wright State -3.5 (-110) / Detroit Mercy +3.5 (-110)
Total (Over/Under): 151.5 (Over -111 / Under -108)

Odds as of March 10, 2026, from consensus odds.

The betting market positions Wright State as a solid, yet manageable, favorite. Laying 3.5 points indicates that oddsmakers respect Detroit Mercy’s gritty 9-2 run over their last 11 games, keeping the spread tight despite the statistical gaps. Meanwhile, the lofty 151.5 total is actively juiced toward the Over (-111), signaling an expectation of a fast-paced battle driven by elite shooting efficiency.

When evaluating the moneyline, stripping away the sportsbook’s house edge (vig) reveals the true implied probabilities. At -182, the implied probability of a Wright State victory sits at 64.54%, while the +151 line carries a 39.84% implication. Totaling 104.38%, we can remove the vig to find the normalized probabilities: Wright State possesses a 61.83% chance of winning outright, leaving Detroit Mercy with a 38.17% chance to secure the upset.

From a practical payout perspective, placing a standard $20 wager on the favored Wright State moneyline (-182) yields a profit of $10.99, resulting in a total payout of $30.99. Conversely, taking a $20 flyer on the underdog Detroit Mercy (+151) generates a $30.20 profit, returning a total payout of $50.20 if they successfully capture the conference crown.

Kalshi also has ML markets available. A Wright State to win contract is $0.64, equal to -178 odds, which makes it a slightly better value than sportsbooks. A $20 investment in these contracts would produce a $12 profit if Wright State wins. Detroit Mercy to win contracts are trading for $0.38 per, equal to +163 odds. A $20 investment in these contracts would produce a $33 profit if Detroit Mercy wins.