The Dartmouth Big Green (7-13) will try to slow down the Ivy League’s top shooting team when they take on the Yale Bulldogs (15-5) at Edward Leede Arena. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 12.
The Big Green lost to Princeton 83-70 the last time they played. Taylor Johnson had a good game for the Big Green, contributing 13 points, four rebounds, and one assist. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off an 83-52 win against Cornell in their last outing. Justin Sears played well for Yale, posting 13 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
Brandon Sherrod has been on a tear for the Bulldogs, averaging 19.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.6 steals over the past five games.
This one might be an error-filled game for the Yale offense, which ranks 329th in the nation in miscues (TO% of 21.2%). It’s matched up against the ball-hawking Dartmouth defense, which causes the 29th-most turnovers in the nation (21.9%).
The Big Green look to improve upon their records of 7-13 Straight Up (SU) and 4-7 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 4-1-1 ATS. The most recent ten-game stretch for the Big Green has gone great. Over that span, Dartmouth is averaging 82.3 points per game, well over their season average of 70.8. Turning to the defensive side, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Big Green. The 63.4 points that Dartmouth’s defense allows per home game makes them the 47th-ranked defense at home.
In the other locker room, Yale has a SU record of 15-5 and an ATS record of 6-3-2. Yale is one of the top shooting teams in the country, hitting .474 of its shots from the floor. The Bulldogs have controlled the glass with an average of 41.7 rebounds per game, 12th in the country. Switching gears to the Yale defense, the Bulldogs allow just 63.8 points per game, ranking them 18th in the nation. Yale’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .401 from the field.
Dartmouth and Yale meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Dartmouth won the last game in the matchup, but the win was not enough to overtake Yale in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 3-7 SU over the last few meetings. On the other hand, Dartmouth holds the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Yale held the edge in all three of these categories once in the last five meetings. Dartmouth never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Yale, ATS Winner – Yale
Notes
Dartmouth scores an average of just 70.8 points per game (ranked 176th). Yale ranks 18th in points allowed, giving up 63.8 points per game.
Dartmouth scores just 75.1 points per home game (ranked 148th). Yale ranks 27th in points allowed on the road, giving up 67.1 points.
Yale won its last game by a 31-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Dartmouth is 3-1. Yale is 10-2 in blowouts this season.
Ranked 35th, the Yale Bulldogs have an offensive rating of 113.7. The Dartmouth Big Green rank 163rd with a defensive rating of just 102.8.
The Yale Bulldogs average a field goal percentage of 47.4% this season. The Dartmouth Big Green are a winless 0-8 when opponents have a FG% of 47.4% or greater.
The Dartmouth Big Green and the Yale Bulldogs both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Dartmouth is 265th and 220th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Yale ranks 43rd and 38th in these categories.
Yale ranks 47th in assists, recording 15.8 per game. Dartmouth performs worse at 166th with 13.7 assists per game.
Ranked 12th in the nation, Yale averages 41.7 rebounds per game. Dartmouth ranks lower at 192nd with 36.0 RPG.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, Yale ranks eighth. Dartmouth ranks 291st in defensive rebounds.
Yale has forced an average turnover percentage of 18.4% this season. Dartmouth has an underachieving 5-8 record when its TO% is 18.4% or higher.
