Holy Cross vs Brown Prediction College Basketball Picks 11/16/24

The Holy Cross Crusaders and the Brown Bears meet Saturday in college basketball action from Pizzitola Sports Center. Here’s a Holy Cross vs Brown prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Holy Cross vs Brown pick. We will examine:

The Holy Cross Crusaders’ recent form and player performance

The Brown Bears’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Holy Cross Crusaders

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Brown Bears

Recent betting trends in games played between Holy Cross and Brown

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Holy Cross vs Brown game

Holy Cross Crusaders Betting Preview

The Crusaders stumbled out of the gate this year, posting a pair of losses in their first two games. The opener was an 85-61 defeat by Wisconsin. Game two was a 91-77 road loss to Rhode Island. Holy Cross lost that one despite a 44-40 halftime edge.

On Friday versus Sacred Heart, the Crusaders were in trouble at halftime due to a 37-35 deficit. Holy Cross came back for a 47-38 run from there, however, and ended up winning 82-75. Max Green led the way with 25 points and seven boards.

Brown Bears Betting Preview

Over on the Brown side, they similarly lost their first two games, but both outcomes were very close. The Bears’ opener turned into a 72-71 loss versus Siena. Game two was a two-point loss 69-67 versus Maine.

Matched up against New Hampshire on Friday, the Bears were up 38-29 at halftime and then hit another 38-29 run for a 76-58 win. Kino Lilly Jr. led the team with 26 points in the victory. Aaron Cooley added a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Why the Brown Bears will win

• Holy Cross has lost 15 of its last 16 road night games against non-Conference opponents.
• Brown has won six of its last seven night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Holy Cross has lost the first half in 19 of its last 23 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the Holy Cross Crusaders will win

• Brown has lost four of its last five games against non-Conference opponents.
• Holy Cross has won the first half in three of its last four games against non-Conference opponents.

Matchup/League Facts

• Brown ranks T31st among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point field goals made per game this season (5.0).
• Brown ranks T42nd among Division 1 teams for opponent assists per game this season (9.3).
• Holy Cross ranks 30th among Division 1 teams for free throw percentage this season (79.6%).

Holy Cross vs Brown Prediction

I’ll likely stick with Brown. You could make a case either way, though. On Friday the Bears weren’t spectacular from the line (21-of-31 for 67.7 percent) but played a nice all-around game otherwise. Brown added 13 assists and just eight turnovers in the 18-point victory.

As for Holy Cross, they played a pretty good all-around game on Friday—despite a relatively slow start. The Crusaders shot 50.9 percent from the field with a 33-30 rebounding edge and just seven turnovers. If Holy Cross can put up that same kind of second-half effort here, Brown will have their hands full.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Brown Bears -7.5