The Ivy League season provided plenty of must-watch games, as the top three teams finished within two games of each other.
Not only do the Ivies differ from other D-I schools from an academic standpoint, but its conference tournament is the most exclusive tournament — featuring only four teams. Each of the four teams has the same objective, winning two games to play in the Big Dance.
Now, let's delve into the best betting avenues for the Ivy League tournament.
Ivy League Tournament Bracket & Odds
The Favorites
Princeton Tigers (+100)
After losing three starters from last year's Cinderella team, Mitch Henderson led Princeton to a 24-win season and another Ivy League title. I'm not even sure Henderson saw Princeton becoming better in the regular season without Tosan Evbuomwan and Ryan Langborg, but it came to fruition.
Caden Pierce (16.3 PPG, 9.2 RPG) won Ivy League Player of the Year, and Xaivian Lee went from a seldom-used reserve to Princeton's leading scorer (17.7 PPG).
The Tigers lost just three games during the regular season — one in the non-conference slate against Saint Joe's and two conference games against Cornell and Yale. When a team is dominant all season long, it's easy to forget just how good that team truly is.
How did Princeton win 24 games? It was another elite offensive season. The Tigers rank 28th in Offensive Efficiency with an 11% turnover rate and 55% effective field goal percentage.
Princeton is fairly reliant on perimeter shooting, attempting 3s on 50.7% of its field goal attempts. That's pretty close to living and dying by the 3, but Lee's driving ability saved Princeton numerous times this year.
The downfall for Princeton could be something that's out of its control: size. The Tigers are one of the smallest teams in America, ranking 315th in average height, per KenPom. The Tigers' lack of size only caused problems once, though — in the first meeting against Yale.
Yale Bulldogs (+180)
The Bulldogs entered the year tabbed as Ivy League favorites after winning the regular season title last year. However, they lost six games during the non-conference slate this year.
People forgot about Yale's potential once Princeton started surging and Yale started losing.
Yale plays a different style than the other three teams in the Ivy League tourney. James Jones' team ranks first in Defensive Efficiency during conference play, holding opponents to a 49% effective field goal percentage.
The Bulldogs' length causes problems for opposing teams inside the arc, but they've sometimes struggled to contain the 3-point shot.
Coach Jones found a gem in versatile seven-footer Danny Wolf. He's become the Bulldogs' top scoring threat, averaging 14.4 points on 48% shooting and 35% from 3.
Princeton doesn't have a great counter for Wolf, but the diminutive Tigers swarming Wolf in the last matchup led to him going 0-of-7 from the field.
Moreover, Yale's offense wants to get to the hoop, rather than shooting it from 3. The Bulldogs shoot 3s on just 35% of their offensive possessions, connecting on 34% from downtown.
That's not how Yale wants to play, so a possible shootout will favor the opposition, like Brown winning an 84-81 game the other night.
Best Bet: Cornell (+300)
I see some real value in the Big Red (+300) to win the Ivy League tournament.
I don't see value in Princeton at close to minus money, so the overwhelming favorite is a total pass from a betting perspective.
Next, I can't see Yale putting together two defensive masterpieces against Cornell and Princeton.
Brian Earl is an offensive genius. His team plays the perfect pace for beating two slower-paced squads in Yale and Princeton. Cornell plays at the 20th-fastest tempo in America and shoots 3s on 50% of its field goal attempts. Cornell can get scalding hot, like when it beat Princeton by 15 points.
Cornell only shoots 34% from 3, despite letting it fly constantly. In contrast, it posts the best 2-point field goal percentage in America (62%). Stopping this dominant offense becomes even tougher if the outside shots fall.
Also, unlike the other two true contenders, Cornell doesn't have a go-to guy. Eight players average five or more points per game, led by Chris Manon (12.5) and Nazir Williams (11.6). Every single Cornell rotation player shoots 45% or better from the field, and Manon shoots 57% from the floor.
It's not all sunshine and daisies for Cornell, as it gets crushed on the defensive glass (293rd in defensive rebounding percentage). None of the opposing teams push for offensive rebounds, but it's an option to slow down Cornell's fast-paced offense.
The Big Red crushed Princeton once and lost by two on the road while splitting the series with Yale.
The gap isn't wide enough to warrant +300 for Cornell to win the Ivy League tourney.
