The Yale Bulldogs take on the Princeton Tigers in Princeton, NJ. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Yale is favored by 2.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -155. The total is set at 147 points.
Here’s my Yale vs. Princeton predictions and college basketball picks for January 31, 2025.
Yale vs Princeton Prediction
My Pick: Princeton ML +130 (Play to -110)
My Yale vs Princeton best bet is on the Tigers moneyline, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Yale vs Princeton Odds
| Yale Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -112 | 147 -108 / -112 | -155 |
| Princeton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -108 | 147 -108 / -112 | +130 |
- Yale vs Princeton spread: Yale -2.5
- Yale vs Princeton over/under: 147 points
- Yale vs Princeton moneyline: Yale -155, Princeton +130
- Yale vs Princeton best bet: Princeton ML +130 (Play to -110)
Spread
If you wanted to take Princeton +2.5, that's okay too.
Moneyline
I'm taking Princeton ML.
Over/Under
I have no play on the total.
My Pick: Princeton ML +130 (Play to -110)
Yale vs Princeton College Basketball Betting Preview
Talk about a wonderful Friday spot. Yale hasn't lost yet in Ivy League play (4-0) while Princeton is fresh off a loss.
Better yet, Princeton is back home for another game, and that leads to a difficult spot for Yale.
Yale lost three starters — Danny Wolf, August Mahoney and Matt Knowling — from last year's Ivy League-winning team. Based on what departed, the Bulldogs regressing wouldn't have been a surprise.
Instead, the returning trio of John Poulakidas, Nick Townsend and Bez Mbeng has Yale ranked higher in KenPom than it was at this time last year.
Mbeng is Yale's point guard, but Townsend is just as important to the Bulldogs' offensive success. Townsend jumped from 6.9 points per game to 14.7 this year, but the biggest question mark in his offensive toolkit is the same as many other Yale players: shooting.
Townsend hits 36% from 3, but rarely shoots it. Meanwhile, starting wing Casey Simmons attempts just 1.1 3s per game, starting center Samson Aletan hasn't hit a 3 ever and Mbeng is shooting 35% from deep. I'm skeptical that Yale can keep pace with Princeton's shooting if the Tigers get hot.
Yale's strength is still on the offensive end, though. The Bulldogs boast the 58th-most efficient offense in America (per KenPom) and thrive at limiting turnovers and crashing the glass.
Meanwhile, the Tigers' offense went from one of the elite units in the country to everyone asking what's wrong.
The difference is easy: Princeton dipped from the 14th-best offense in 2-point field goal percentage to 219th. It's become even more of an issue in conference play, as it's posting a disastrous 42% figure from inside the arc.
It's not all bad, though. Princeton is just more reliant on shooting from downtown. The Tigers shoot 37.7% from 3, with over 44% of their shots coming from long range.
It makes sense, given the supporting cast is mostly shooters. Dalen Davis and Blake Peters are the two most important, as Davis can create his looks — which eases some pressure away from Xaivian Lee — and Peters is a catch-and-shoot weapon (40% from deep).
I still trust Princeton — for better or worse — due to the Lee and Caden Pierce pair. That pairing combines for 29.9 points per game. So, in order for this handicap to fall in my favor, it's paramount to get a star showing from both.
The Tigers' best plan of attack is utilizing pick-and-rolls to their advantage. Their best offense isn't through pick-and-rolls, but Lee is such a smooth operator that he can really expose Yale's dreadful pick-and-roll defense— the Bulldogs rank in the 12th percentile against these sets.
Conversely, Princeton is in the 66th percentile in the same category (per Synergy).
Moreover, Yale struggles to defend the perimeter, ranking 203rd against 3-point shots. That's a major concern for the Bulldogs since shooting is the DNA of this Princeton squad.
Arguably, the largest issue for Princeton is starting slow. Even in wins over Columbia and Dartmouth in the last month, the Tigers needed a game-winning triple from Lee to save the day. Each of Princeton's previous six wins came by four or fewer points.
Taking Princeton at plus money at home against a Yale team I have questions about sounds like an outstanding play.
