There’s a huge game Friday involving two potential NCAA Tournament contenders that you might not know much about. Once again the top of the Ivy League is strong and two of the league’s best contenders go head-to-head Friday night as the Yale Bulldogs take on the rival Princeton Tigers.
Find out our thoughts on the spread, total, and key matchups in this Yale vs. Princeton prediction.
Yale vs. Princeton Betting Preview
All Yale vs. Princeton odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.
- Spread
Yale -2.5 - CSN Spread
Yale -3.5 - Moneyline
Yale -148, Princeton +124 - Over/Under
147.5 points - Game Time
Friday, Jan. 31, 5 ET - Location
Jadwin Gymnasium | Princeton, NJ - How To Watch
ESPN2
Yale’s overall record might not look impressive as the Bulldogs went just 7-6 in the non-conference, but that slate was loaded. The Bulldogs played six top-150 teams in out Power Rankings, including single-digit losses to Big Ten teams Purdue and Minnesota.
The Bulldogs are 10-5-1 against the spread this season, but they’ve struggled on the road, going 3-3-1 ATS in true road games (2-5 overall) and 1-2 ATS as a road favorite.
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Princeton’s schedule has been far easier, as the Tigers have been underdogs just twice this season. Interestingly, they won both games straight-up. That being said, the Tigers are just 7-12 against the spread this year and 2-6 at home.
The over has hit 10 of 16 times for Yale and just nine of 19 for Princeton.
Yale vs. Princeton CSN Power Rankings Line
Yale is a top 75 team in our power rankings and moving up after a 4-0 start to Ivy League play. Princeton isn’t bad for a mid-major either, sitting at 118th in our metric. The implied line here is Yale -3.5, which is just slightly higher than Vegas’ line of -2.5.
Our power rankings metric leans towards Yale against the spread, even on the road, but doesn’t think it’s the most valuable play of the weekend. Princeton’s home woes are worrisome, but the Tigers have won both games in which they’ve been the underdogs this season.
Prediction for Yale vs. Princeton
If you’re looking to get ahead of the books and find a team that could make a run in the NCAA Tournament, look no further than the Yale Bulldogs.
Not only does KenPom think they’re one of the most unlucky teams in the country so far (signaling an expected regression to the mean and better results down the stretch) but they can do the big three things needed to win in college basketball: shoot, pass, and rebound.
The Bulldogs are 27th-nationally in 3-point percentage (37.9%) and second in defensive rebounding percentage. While teams tend to shoot well against them, they don’t get second chances.
Senior guard John Poulakidas is hitting his stride in conference play, shooting 45.8% from 3-point range in his last three and getting to the line frequently. Add in junior Nick Townsend, who is stuffing the stat sheet and the Bulldogs have one of the better 1-2 punches in the non-power conferences.
Princeton can also light it up from behind the arc, but the Tigers struggle to rebound, get to the line and hit free throws. Expect a free throw disparity in this one that could be the difference, as Yale averages about five more made free throws a game.
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Of course, Caden Pierce and the Tigers could get hot from behind the arc, which throws a wrench in my plan to hammer the Bulldogs.
Pierce is 7-for-15 from behind the arc in conference play and nearly had a triple-double in an 81-80 win over Dartmouth.
I like the over here, as I think these teams could both get hot, but I trust the Bulldogs’ ability to get to the line and hit free throws in a close game. I like Yale to cover, but just barely.
Prediction: Yale 80, Princeton 76
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