University of Pennsylvania vs Harvard Odds, Spread, and Total
After splitting their regular-season meetings, Penn and Harvard meet for a high-stakes rubber match in Saturday’s Ivy League Tournament semifinal. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. EST at Newman Arena…
After splitting their regular-season meetings, Penn and Harvard meet for a high-stakes rubber match in Saturday's Ivy League Tournament semifinal. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. EST at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y., with the postseason matchup airing on ESPNEWS.
Pennsylvania (16-11, 9-5 Ivy) arrives as the tournament's hottest team, having won seven of its last eight games. Under first-year head coach Fran McCaffery, the Quakers have built an identity around physicality and elite ball pressure, forcing a high rate of defensive turnovers.
Ethan Roberts leads the offensive charge with 16.9 points per game, while TJ Power controls the glass with 7.5 rebounds to go along with 15.8 points per night.
Harvard (17-11, 10-4 Ivy) counters with the conference's premier defense, leading the Ivy League in limiting opponent shooting percentages. Offensively, Robert Hinton paces the Crimson with 17.1 points per game on 50% shooting from the field, while Tey Barbour adds 5.3 rebounds per game. Harvard relies heavily on its starting five, with all starters frequently logging 34 or more minutes, making depth a potential concern against a physical Penn squad.
The teams split their regular-season meetings in tightly contested battles. Harvard won the first matchup 64-63 before Penn earned revenge with a 64-61 victory at home on Feb. 28.
Penn vs Harvard Betting Trends
- Penn is 7-3 against the spread in their past 10 games.
- Harvard is 6-4 against the spread in their last 10 matchups.
- The under has hit in 10 straight games for Penn.
- The total has gone under in seven of Harvard's last nine games.
- Penn is 9-3 against the spread in the past 10 matchups against Harvard.
- The over has hit in seven of the last 10 meetings between these teams.
Penn vs Harvard Injury Reports
Penn
- None.
Harvard
- None.
Penn vs Harvard Predictions and Picks
"The Crimson check in as a top-20 program in adjusted defensive efficiency and they're the best Ivy in defending against both two-point and three-point shooting. The Crimson win by discipline .... The concern with Harvard is its limited depth as all five starters often play 34-plus minutes. Penn matches up with them as the tournament's hottest squad, having won seven of its past eight games. The Quakers are known for their physicality, strong ball security and successful rebounding." — Sean Treppedi, New York Post
"The Quakers split with the Crimson during the regular season in games that finished 64-63 and 64-61 .... In the end, I think Penn is a gamble worth making. McCaffery's team got better as the season went along, and they've won seven of eight heading into the tourney, including both wins over Cornell and the revenge win over Harvard. They only lost by four on the road at Yale." — Adam Burke, VSiN
"The teams have shared two down-to-the-wire clashes so far this year, and like two heavyweight prizefighters, have split their earlier battles in advance of a highly-awaited trilogy. As the Crimson's players enter the game with a salty taste lingering in the back of their mouths after Penn won the most recent meeting between the teams, this game is not as close as the other two. Pigge stars once more, going for 20+ points and 5+ assists, and the Crimson fend off the Quakers to earn their spot in the final." — The Harvard Crimson
"There are only a handful of Ivy League players capable of taking over a game in that fashion. Two of them play for Penn (in TJ Power and Ethan Roberts). That alone gives the Quakers a legitimate chance at their first trip to March Madness since 2018." — Walker Carnathan, The Daily Pennsylvanian
