Harvard Crimson AT Cornell Big Red
Feb 18, 2011 at 7 PM EST
Opening Line: Harvard -4
Current Line: Harvard -4.5
Opening Total: 138
Current Total: 138
Opening Moneyline: Har -200 / Cor +170
Current Moneyline: Har -200 / Cor +170
Tonight’s game features Ivy League Conference rivals Harvard (18-4) and Cornell (6-16). Harvard is 7-1 in Ivy League play and sits at 2nd in the Ivy League while Cornell is 2-6 in Ivy League play and ranks 6th of 8 in the Ivy League.
Cornell has lost 6 of their last 8 games, including a 21 point loss last game against the Harvard Crimson. Harvard has won 11 of their last 12 games, with the lone loss coming to Ivy League leader Princeton. Their last loss before that came to the #4 ranked Connecticut Huskies, so they have been taking care of business in a big way. Over the last 12 games they are winning by an average of 9.0 points per game, slightly above their overall differential of +7.5. Their 72.4 points per game rank them 94th in the country in scoring and they are also 74th in assists per game (14.6) and 41st overall in the country in field goal percentage (46.9%). Harvard also has the third best free throw percentage in the league at 79.4% Cornell does not rank in the top 100 in any major statistical categories.
Some betting trends:
Harvard is 4-1 SU in their last 5 road games and the total has gone UNDER in 4 of their last 6 on the road. Harvard is 1-4 SU in their last 5 road games against Cornell.
Cornell is 4-15 SU in their last 19 games and 16-6 SU in their last 22 at home. Cornell is 2-6 SU in their last 8 home games and 5-2 SU in their last 7 games against Harvard. The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cornell’s last 7 games against the Crimson and Cornell is 4-1 SU in their last 5 home games against Harvard.
Harvard has a 6 man rotation in which all 6 players make significant contributions offensively, averaging between 8.9 points per game and 15.6. Keith Wright, a 6’8″ junior forward, leads the way in scoring with 15.6 points per game. He also grabs 8.6 rebounds per game and contributes 1.6 blocks on the defensive end. In games that he blocks 2 or more shots, Harvard is 8-1. He has scored in double figures in all but 3 games, and in those 3 games Harvard is 3-0. Christian Webster is 2nd on the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game. He is a deadly three point shooter (40.4% on 42 of 104 shooting) and has scored in double figures in all but 4 games, 3 of which Harvard won.
Cornell is led by 6’0″ junior point guard Chris Wroblewski. Wroblewski averages 14.9 points per game and 5.3 assists, while shooting a dead eye 42% from three (42 of 100). He has scored 20 or more points 4 times, and Cornell is 3-1 in those games. His best game of the year came in a 2 point loss to Saint Bonoventure, when he scored 25 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists. He is also a defensive threat, grabbing 1.6 steals a game and igniting the Cornell fast break. Andrew Ferry, a 6’4″ junior shooting guard, is second on the team in scoring with 11.7 points per game and shoots 36.5% from three (61 of 167). He has hit 7 threes on two different occasions, in a 6 pont win over Wofford and again in a 4 point loss to Columbia. If he gets going from downtown Cornell will have a good shot at upsetting Harvard tonight.
Tonight’s game will be closer than one could imagine by simply examining records. Cornell, while they have been bad this year, is usually formidable at home, and consequently are only 4 point underdogs against the Crimson.
