There are a couple of huge college basketball games in the Ivy League on Friday night, and this conference continues to be extremely competitive. The Princeton Tigers are set to visit the Harvard Crimson in one of those games, and this matchup should be a battle.
Princeton comes into this matchup having won four straight games, and they are now sitting at an impressive 19-3 on the year. The Tigers simply can’t afford to drop another conference game though if they plan on winning the league.
Harvard has hit a bit of a rough patch of late as they have gone just 2-2 in their last four games. The Crimson are now sitting at 13-9 on the season, and they have been reduced to trying to play the role of spoiler.
Princeton is a 6.5-point betting favorite on the road in this game, and the over/under line is set at 140.5 total points.
Tigers Can Score
Princeton is coming into this one scoring 76 points per game, and that’s not always something that they have done well in the past. The Tigers have been looking to push the tempo more this season, and that has caused some of their opponents some issues.
Xaivain Lee is having a huge season for this team as he has poured in 18 points per game so far this season. Princeton will have to shoot the ball well from deep, but that’s not always something that they do.
This team is also a solid defensive group as they are holding opponents to less than 65 points per game this season. Princeton will try to get some easy scores by locking down their opponents.
Harvard Has to Defend
The Harvard Crimson are going to have to play great defense to win this game, but that could be an issue. Harvard is allowing over 71 points per game this season, and they have given up 75 points in back-to-back games.
The Crimson are another Ivy League team that has found some success on offense this season as they are scoring 71.6 points per game. Harvard wants to try to slow down the tempo in this game, while also shooting well from the perimeter.
Malik Mack is one of the best players in this league as he is scoring 18.5 points per game to set the tone for the Crimson.
Crimson Battle, Tigers Win
Most Ivy League games tend to be extremely tight regardless of the matchup, but there is reason to believe that this game will be a battle. Harvard has not been a great defensive team this season, but playing at home should give them some confidence in this game.
The Princeton Tigers have put up some points all season long, but they have also struggled to make shots at times. There could be some doubt and pressure that creeps in as the game moves along, and that will be something to watch.
Taking the 6.5 points and backing Harvard is the play on Friday night, but Princeton will be able to survive with a win.
