The Harvard Crimson (11-11, 6-1 Ivy) will try to put an end to the five-game winning streak of Penn when they welcome the Quakers (17-6, 7-0 Ivy) to Lavietes Pavilion. Action gets underway at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 10, 2018.
Penn Quakers vs. Harvard Crimson Betting Preview
The last time the Quakers played, they won a close one over the Dartmouth Big Green, 64-61. AJ Brodeur was the games high scorer with 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting. The Quakers held the Big Green to an effective field goal percentage of 0.328 (below their season average of 0.532) and had a turnover percentage of 13.7 (better than their season average of 15.1).
The Crimson will look to maintain momentum after topping the Princeton Tigers in their last contest, 66-51. Harvard rallied around Christian Juzang, who was the games high scorer with 20 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Harvard played a nearly flawless game. They had a turnover percentage of 13.0 (better than their season average of 18.5) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.490 (above their season average of 0.482). For those same stats, Princeton was 21.2 and 0.415, respectively.
The ineffective offense of Harvard will go head-to-head against the top-notch defense of Penn. The Crimson rank 324th in offensive efficiency, while the Quakers are 13th in defensive efficiency. The Quakers figure to have the edge on that end of the court. Also, second chance points figure to be rare for the Quakers. They rank 297th in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage at 25.0 percent, while the Crimson are 41st-best on the defensive glass (defensive rebounding percentage of 75.2 percent).
In terms of the O/U total, these teams are complete opposites. Penn games have gone over 64.7 percent of the time, while games featuring Harvard have gone under 64.7 percent of the time. The Quakers have the better straight up (SU) record (17-6 vs. 11-11), but the Crimson hold the sizable advantage against the spread (ATS) (8-8-1 vs. 7-10).
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. Each won one of the two games played against each other last season. In the last matchup, the Quakers won 75-72. The Quakers dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a phenomenal free throw rate of 0.321 and a great offensive rebounding percentage of 28.6. For those same stats, the Crimson put up marks of 0.172 and 18.2, respectively.
Penn Quakers vs. Harvard Crimson Odds Prediction
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Penn, ATS Winner – Penn, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Quakers average 25.6 three pointers per game, which ranks 41st in the NCAA. The Crimson rank 106th in three pointers allowed per game (20.8).
- Harvard is 28th in the nation with 2.5 blocks allowed per game while Penn is 54th with 2.8 blocks allowed per game.
- Penn is 4-4 ATS on the road with 7 overs and 1 under.
- Harvard is 0-1-1 ATS at home with 2 unders and 0 overs.
- Penn ranks 31st in rebounds per game (39.2) while Harvard ranks 199th (34.0).
- The Quakers rank 42nd in steals allowed per game (5.3) while the Crimson rank 178th (7.0).
- Penn ranks third in assists allowed per game (9.3) while Harvard ranks 100th (12.8).
Betting Trends:
- Harvard is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Penn is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- The Crimson have outscored opponents by an average of 4.4 points in their last five games. On the season, Harvard has lost by an average of 0.9 points.
- During their last five games, the Quakers have scored an average of 73.4 points per game (2.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 64.4 points per game (4.2 below their season average).
