Harvard Crimson vs Yale Bulldogs Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Harvard vs Yale NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in New Haven.

Harvard vs Yale Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Crimson and Bulldogs. The game is starting at 2:00 ET on ESPN+, and it's hosted by the Bulldogs at John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven, CT. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this Ivy League conference contest is set at 143.5 points, with Yale being favored by -13.5 at home against Harvard.

Harvard vs. Yale Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Harvard Crimson at Yale Bulldogs
Where: New Haven at John J. Lee Amphitheater
Date: Saturday, January 25th
Betting Odds YALE -13.5, HARVRD +720 | YALE -1200 O/U 143.5

Crimson Preview: Does Harvard Have What it Takes to Win as Road Underdogs?

Harvard Crimson Recent Game/Games

Harvard's season took another hit as they fell to 5-10 after an 82-67 loss to Penn on Monday. The Crimson, who were -7 favorites at home, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 39-30 at halftime, Harvard allowed 43 points in the 2nd half while scoring 37. The total points for the game reached 149, going over the 142.5 O/U line.

Crimson Offense Breakdown

In their recent game, Harvard put up 67 points, shooting 45.8% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 50.8%, thanks to strong 2-point shooting at 61.8% (21/34), though they struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 24% (6/25). At the free-throw line, they connected on 7 of 10 attempts, good for 70%.

Ethan Roberts led the way with 21 points, hitting 4 of 7 from deep (57.1%), while Sam Brown added 19 points, shooting 42.9% from three. Chandler Pigge contributed 15 points, and Nick Spinoso was efficient inside, shooting 63.6% from the field. Austin Hunt grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds, and Harvard pulled down 13 offensive boards as a team, finishing with 11 assists.

Crimson Team Defense

Harvard's defense gave up 82 points, with their opponents shooting 45% from the field. They allowed 61% shooting on two-point attempts, as the other team went 21/34 inside the arc.

From three-point range, Harvard held their opponents to 24% shooting, with just 6 made threes on 25 attempts. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 10 times, where they made 7 free throws.

Bulldogs Preview: Can Yale Lock in a Home Win?

Yale improved to 9-6 on the season with an 83-67 win over Dartmouth on Monday. Playing at home, the Bulldogs were favored by 16.5 points but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 150 fell just short of the 152.5 O/U line.

Yale led 41-37 at halftime and clamped down defensively in the 2nd half, allowing just 30 points while scoring 42 of their own.

Bulldogs Offense Breakdown

Yale put up 83 points in their last game, shooting 43.8% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 46.6%, with a 49.1% mark on two-pointers (27/55) and 27.8% from beyond the arc (5/18). They were efficient from the free-throw line, hitting 82.4% (14/17).

The Bulldogs grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and dished out 17 assists. Samson Aletan led the way with 17 points, while Bez Mbeng and Ryan Cornish each added 16. Cornish was particularly efficient, shooting 77.8% overall and hitting his only three-point attempt.

Bulldogs Team Defense

Yale's defense gave up 67 points, with their opponents shooting 43% from the field on 32 of 73 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 27 two-point baskets on 55 attempts, a 49% shooting rate.

From three-point range, Yale held their opponents to 5 of 18 shooting, just 27%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 17 times, where they made 14, an 82% success rate. Yale allowed 16 offensive rebounds.

Crimson vs Bulldogs Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past three road matchups, Harvard has an ATS record of 3-0 while averaging 73 per game. The team went 3-0 overall in these games.
Although Yale has a straight up record of 2-3 in their last five home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 2-3. The team averaged 85 points per game in these games.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Crimson have gone 4-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-3.
Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Bulldogs have a straight up record of 8-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.