Conferences produce rivalries and on a holiday, we have an old classic of sorts Monday night. The Ivy League represents a different animal when it comes to betting. Let's head to the city of Brotherly Love better known as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At Online Sports Betting, we look one of the oldest rivalries in college basketball. So, yes, we look at Monday NCAA Basketball Bets featuring the Princeton Tigers. They tangle with Penn, a team with a .500 record.
- WHAT: Princeton Tigers versus Penn Quakers
- WHEN: Monday, January 16th, 2023, 7:00 pm ET on ESPN+
- WHERE: The Palestra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- WHY: Ivy League Monday Matchup
The bettors eat up games like this normally. The Monday NCAA Basketball Bets spotlight a conference contender who happens to have potential in this matchup. Now, betting NCAA College Men's basketball can be difficult. After all, Ivy League schools offer their own unique challenges and history. Here is a quick table for the Tigers-Quakers matchup tonight, courtesy of Bovada Online Sportsbook.
| NCAA Thursday Pac-12 |  |  | MyBookie |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA (-4.5) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Arizona State | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Monday NCAA Basketball Bets Intrigued By Princeton
Monday NCAA Basketball Bets are intrigued by Princeton. So, how did Princeton fare in the last week? Honestly, that answer was not too good. The Tigers lost to Brown in gut wrenching fashion 72-70. This was a game Princeton could have easily won, but simply the shots would not fall.
Now, is it a surprise that the Tigers are dead even across the board on Monday night? Yes, conference play and again historical context impacts matchups differently. However, Princeton did have a week off after an emotional win at Cornell. That win was Cornell's first conference loss on the season. Letdowns and quirky scheduling are a hallmark of college basketball this time of year. After all, classes start again this week.
Let's take on this Monday night game. Also, we examine Princeton a little further. Do they have a rosier outlook ahead in the Ivy League?
Mitch Henderson Knows Penn Will Not Be Easy
The Monday NCAA Basketball Bets side with Princeton. Granted, Mitch Henderson knows Penn will not be easy. The Pallestra is an intimidating building. It has history on its side. Also, this game comes on the heels of Saturday afternoon's loss. Guess what? Penn happens to have a prolific scorer in Jordan Dingle who averages 23.6 points per game. He is not Steve Donahue's only weapon. Penn does have a 1-2 punch.
Clark Slajchert is no slouch offensively. He comes into Monday night averaging 16.5 points per contest. Though his three-point shooting has regressed a hair, he attempts 5.3 shots from beyond the arc a game. Slajchert, like Dingle, is a threat from both the perimeter and inside. The difference with Penn, compared to most Ivy League schools, is their guard play gets helped by their "small forwards" like Nick Spinoso (3.6 assists per game).
Those are a few reasons why Mitch Henderson is leery of playing Penn. Brown executed a solid game plan on Saturday afternoon. They slowed the game down and then Kino Lilly came alive. Lilly led all scorers with 26 points, including four three-pointers. Perimeter shots were more open than normal on Saturday. It is safe to say that Henderson made Princeton's guards watch a little extra video afterwards.
Again, if one is combing through for Top 100 GSCI players, you will not find them in this matchup. How Princeton guards against the ball distribution game of Penn remains a key. If the Tigers execute like they did in the opening 20 minutes against Brown, Princeton should come out of Philadelphia with a victory tonight.
Monday NCAA Basketball Bets Are Dead Even?
So, what about Monday's NCAA basketball bets? Can one believe they are dead even? The thought process lies simply with the fact that games like these are notoriously close no matter the record. Penn is an average team by every metric (9-9, 2-2 in the Ivy). They score 74.3 points per game but yield 72.7 per contest. Their scoring margin is +3.5 points in conference, but again that is after just four games.
Early play seems to indicate that Cornell and Princeton are the early favorites in the Ivy League. Lots can change between now and the first week of March. On the other hand, maybe it does not. Yale might be an interesting wild card in all of this, but the losses to Columbia and Dartmouth hurt. That is why the Ivy leans more to teams like Cornell and of course, Princeton. Princeton possesses the discipline and pace needed to negotiate through the conference schedule.
Penn expects to make this quite a struggle. However, getting Princeton at even makes this a little easier to digest on Monday night. Now, a motivated Princeton squad will be tested. Take the gift on the spread and moneyline anyway. Princeton will not be rusty for this big game.
To Go With The Over Or Under Tonight?
Lastly, Monday NCAA Basketball Bets asks to go with the over or under tonight. This game saw the over shift several times. The recommendation illustrates to monitor movement closely. Fortunately, no players appear sick. Yes, New Jersey and the urban areas of Philadelphia have elevated risk for COVID and respiratory illnesses. That has to be mentioned.
Both teams prefer to play at a slightly faster tempo. Penn does not have the forwards to grind Princeton to a halt like Brown did. Princeton would like to score around 75 points or so and that is possible. However, that 145.5 total is troublesome. A little movement downward would help but bet on the under if the number stays.
Online Sportsbook Options
Monday night is light. Now, examine more online sportsbook reviews where there are more options for Princeton's weekend game against Dartmouth.
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