It will be a battle between Ivy opponents when the Harvard Crimson (9-7, 2-1 Ivy) welcome the Brown Bears (13-6, 1-2 Ivy) to Lavietes Pavilion. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 2, 2019.
Brown Bears at Harvard Crimson Betting Prediction
In the Bears’ last matchup, they just got past the Dartmouth Big Green, 60-58, as 7-point underdogs. The combined points for the game (118) came in well under the projected point total of 153.5. Brown’s turnover percentage was their largest advantage over Dartmouth. The Bears had a rate of 15.7 (better than their season average of 17.1), while the Big Green posted a mark of 26.7 (above their season average of 15.1). Tamenang Choh had a solid performance for Brown, contributing 12 points, nine rebounds and five steals.
The Crimson beat the Yale Bulldogs in their last contest, 65-49, covering as 10.5-point favorites. The game’s combined points (114) were well under the projected point total of 140. Harvard’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest strength over Yale. The Crimson had a rate of 0.547 (below their season average of 0.548), while the Bulldogs posted a mark of 0.339 (below their season average of 0.559). With 13 points and seven rebounds, Justin Bassey put together a solid game for Harvard.
Looking at effective field goal percentage, this appears to be a balanced matchup. The upper-echelon Harvard offense ranks 47th in the country in that metric at 0.548, while the top-notch Brown defense is ranked 26th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.459). This game should be a showdown of opposite tempos. The up-tempo Bears rank 57th in possessions per game, while the more methodical Crimson rank 264th.
Brown has a respectable 13-6 straight up (SU) record, but they have a difficult time covering the spread (7-7-2 against the spread (ATS)). Bears games have typically gone under the projected point total (75.0 percent).
Meanwhile, Harvard owns records of 9-7 SU and 6-8 ATS. Unlike Brown, Crimson games have a tendency to finish over the O/U total (64.3 percent).
After the Crimson won both contests against the Bears last season, these teams will clash for the first time this year. In the last game, Harvard won 65-58. The Crimson had a much better free throw rate (0.340 vs. 0.138) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (33.3 vs. 28.2).
Brown Bears at Harvard Crimson ATS Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Harvard, ATS Winner – Harvard, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Harvard ranks 50th in blocks allowed per game (2.8) while Brown ranks 116th (3.5).
Harvard is 1-3 ATS at home, while Brown is 5-3-1 ATS on the road.
Bettings Trends:
Over its last five outings, Brown is 1-3 ATS with 2 overs and 2 unders.
Harvard is 1-4 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over its last five games.
The Bears’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.4, down from 8.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Crimson have scored an average of 55.2 points per game (10.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 52.0 points per game (12.0 below their season average).
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