Ivy League Semifinals Betting Preview: Yale vs. Cornell & Princeton vs. Penn
Ivy League Saturday is a staple of championship week in college basketball. Just four teams will head to New Jersey to see who will receive the league’s automatic bid in an intriguing doubleheader among the conference class. To prepare you for Saturday’s action, we look at each game and how you can find value in the matchups.#4 Cornell vs. #1 Yale Game Information
- Location: Jadwin Gymnasium | Princeton, NJ
- Time: 11:00 a.m. ET | TV: ESPNU
These two teams couldn’t enter this contest on further apart trends. Yale will show up to Princeton smoking hot, notching wins in nine of their previous ten games.
As for Cornell, the Big Red have dropped six of their previous nine, including a blowout loss to Yale two weeks ago. The Big Red boasts a double-digit scoring trio of Greg Dolan, Nazir Williams, and Chris Manon. Manon is the defensive stalwart of the bunch, averaging the highest steal rate in Division I on the season.
He will likely be tasked with stopping Yale’s Matt Knowling, an undersized forward with a dynamic skillset in the post who has made a fantastic leap during his sophomore season. That matchup could decide this game, but Knowling enters at potentially less than 100 percent. However, head coach James Jones told reporters on Friday that Knowling should be fine for the game after missing their previous three outings with an ankle injury. It will be something to keep an eye on heading into this one.
It’s enough of a question mark to back Cornell with the healthy helping of points you’ll get on the Big Red.
#3 Penn vs. #2 Princeton Game Information- Location: Jadwin Gymnasium | Princeton, NJ
- Time: 1:30 p.m. ET | TV: ESPNU
If you haven’t yet tuned in to watch Penn’s Jordan Dingle play basketball, now’s your chance. Dingle is the second-leading scorer in the nation, only behind Detroit’s Antoine Davis, averaging 23.6 points per game for the Quakers. He is the centerpiece of the team’s offense, ranking seventh in usage percentage of team possessions and team’s shot attempts nationally. At 6’3″, he is an elite scorer at all three levels, especially in the painted area.
These two faced off in the regular-season finale in a barn burner where Princeton came out on top in an overtime home victory. Dingle was also remarkable in that one, posting 28 points and winning KenPom MVP in the defeat.
Tosan Evbuomwan is the man to watch for Princeton. His paint presence has been terrorizing Ivy League opponents for two seasons, and he is looking to send Princeton to its first NCAA Tournament since 2017. He found success against Penn in their first matchup this year, with 26 points on nine-of-12 shooting, seven rebounds, and three assists. It will make the Tigers hard to stop if he can get it going again.
They’ll be at home in this one and undoubtedly have their sights on avenging last season’s championship loss. Lay it with Princeton on Saturday afternoon.
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