A five-game home winning streak is on the line for the Harvard Crimson (16-7, 5-3 Ivy) when they go head-to-head with the Princeton Tigers (11-10, 6-2 Ivy) at Lavietes Pavilion. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, February 21, 2020.
Princeton Tigers at Harvard Crimson Betting Odds
Both teams were triumphant in their last game. The Crimson beat the Columbia Lions 77-73, while the Tigers won big over the Brown Bears 73-54.
Princeton played a nearly perfect game. They had a great effective field goal percentage of 0.594 (above their season average of 0.537) and a free throw rate of 0.189 (below their season average of 0.217). For those same stats, Brown was 0.397 and 0.138, respectively. The Crimson, on the other hand, held the Lions to an offensive rebounding percentage of 18.0 (below the 25.3 mark opponents have averaged against Harvard this season). The Lions had a free throw rate of 0.143 (below the 0.231 mark opponents have averaged against Harvard this season). Chris Lewis was a key piece for Harvard with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Princeton received a boost from Ethan Wright, who put up 21 points.
In their first matchup this year, Wright led the Tigers to a 70-69 victory. He produced 15 points. Princeton’s 0.132 free throw rate was their biggest advantage over Harvard, who had a mark of 0.107.
Harvard appears to have the advantage on the offensive side of the ball. The Crimson currently rank 79th in effective field goal percentage (0.522), while Princeton ranks 308th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.521).
Princeton Tigers at Harvard Crimson Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Harvard, ATS Winner – Princeton, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Harvard ranks 55th in rebounds per game (38.3) while Princeton ranks 267th (32.0).
- The Crimson average 6.7 steals per game, which ranks 111th in the nation. The Tigers rank 144th in steals allowed per game (6.7).
- Harvard is 36th in the country with 10.7 assists allowed per game while Princeton is 53rd with 11.1 assists allowed per game.
- The Crimson rank 12th in blocks per game (5.3) while the Tigers rank 204th (2.1).
- Princeton ranks 16th in three pointers allowed per game (17.3) while Harvard ranks 71st (19.8).
Bettings Trends:
- The Crimson’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.0, down from 6.9 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Tigers have scored an average of 56.0 points per game (12.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 57.8 points per game (9.7 below their season average).
