Princeton (0-0) vs Iona (0-0)
Game Info: Monday, November 4, 2024 at 7:00 pm (L. Stockwell Jadwin Gymnasium)
The Line: Betting Odds: Princeton -11 / Iona +11 — Over/Under: 144.5
The Iona Gaels and the Princeton Tigers meet Monday in college basketball action from Jadwin Gym. Here’s an Iona vs Princeton prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Iona vs Princeton pick. We will examine:
The Iona Gaels recent form and player performance
The Princeton Tigers recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Iona Gaels
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Princeton Tigers
Recent betting trends in games played between Iona and Princeton
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Iona vs Princeton game
Iona Gaels Betting Preview
Iona stumbled through a middling season in 2023-24, going 16-17 overall with a 10-10 run in MAAC action. The Gaels finished ahead of only four teams in the standings and would ultimately fall to Fairfield in their second game of the conference tournament.
In head coach Tobin Anderson’s second year he’ll be rebuilding almost from scratch. All five starters from last season are gone, leaving room for Dejour Reaves (15.6 PPG), Clarence Rupert (7.5 PPG) and James Patterson (23.9 PPG) to make their marks on the team.
Princeton Tigers Betting Preview
Over on the Princeton side, they notched a 24-5 overall run last year with a 12-2 record in Ivy League play for a regular-season conference championship. The Tigers lost to Brown in their first game of the conference tournament though, then fell to UNLV in the opener of the NIT.
The Tigers will retain head coach Mitch Henderson for his 13th year at the helm. He’ll have three of his five starters back from last year. There wasn’t much depth to speak of however, as Princeton posted just 14.38 bench points and went with a seven-man rotation for the bulk of the season.
Why the Princeton Tigers will win
- Princeton has won 15 of its last 16 games at Jadwin Gymnasium against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Iona has lost four of its last five night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Princeton has won the first half in 10 of its last 11 home night games against non-Conference opponents.
Why the Iona Gaels will win
- Iona has won three of its last four games against non-Conference opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- Princeton ranked 2nd among Division 1 teams for turnover percentage last season (11.1%).
- Princeton ranked 4th among Division 1 teams for assist to turnover ratio last season (1.78).
- Iona ranked 18th among Division 1 teams for steals per game last season (8.8).
- Iona ranked 48th among Division 1 teams for turnover percentage last season (13.1%).
Iona vs Princeton Prediction
I’m going to stay with Princeton. The Tigers have notched a nice 70-21 record over the last three seasons with an Ivy League run of 34-8. They’ve missed out on the NCAA Tournament in two of those three years though, so getting to the Big Dance will be a priority. Princeton has more than enough talent and depth to get there, but the conference will be tough once again.
As for Iona, I think they’ll have some success this year. The Gaels have added several players who should fit the culture nicely, and they’ll rely on a high-energy, full-court style of play that will be fun to watch. It should take a while for the chemistry to fully develop though, so I think this first cover is Princeton’s.