Harvard Crimson vs Penn Quakers Prediction, 2/28/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Harvard Crimson vs Penn Quakers

Date: Saturday, February 28, 2026

Location: The Palestra in Philadelphia, PA

TV: ESPN+

The Palestra is where the Penn Quakers (13-11) will go up against the Harvard Crimson (15-10) on Saturday.

The Harvard Crimson stepped onto the hardwood against Cornell and took home the win by a score of 73-54 in their last game. Harvard ended the game having earned a 43.1% field goal percentage (25 of 58) and knocked down 9 out of their 28 three-point attempts. When they shot from the free throw line, the Crimson made 14 of their 19 shots for a rate of 73.7%. In the matter of getting rebounds, they earned 32 with 9 of them being of the offensive sort. They also doled out 23 dimes for the game in addition to forcing the opposition into 8 turnovers and earning 6 steals. When talking about defending, Harvard allowed the other team to go 36.4% from the field on 20 of 55 shooting. Cornell earned 10 dimes and had 5 steals in the game. Additionally, Cornell collected 29 boards (7 offensive, 22 defensive), but didn't have a block. Cornell shot 84.6% at the free throw line by making 11 of their 13 attempts. They also converted 3 of their 22 shots from long range. In relation to personal fouls, the Crimson ended up finishing with 13 while Cornell racked up 13 personal fouls.

Tey Barbour is a guy who was a major contributor in this matchup. He shot 66.7% from the floor and also distributed 3 dimes. He saw the court for 35 mins and also snagged 6 rebounds. He scored 30 points on 10 of 15 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Today

Harvard will enter this matchup with a record of 15-10 for the campaign. They currently have an average of 70.9 pts per contest (295th in college) while connecting on 46.8% from the floor. The Crimson are hitting 36.1% from downtown (191 of 529) and 79.8% from the free throw line. As a unit, Harvard is pulling down 31.6 boards per game and has accounted for 353 dimes for the campaign, which is 292nd in college hoops in terms of passing. They cough up possession 10.6 times per game and as a team they commit 14.1 fouls every game.

On defense, the Crimson have forced 11.1 turnovers every game and they draw 14.6 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 31st in college hoops in allowing assists with 317 relinquished for the season. Crimson defense is giving up and opponent field goal percentage of 43.6% (603 of 1,383) and they relinquish 31.9 boards per contest as a team. They relinquish 31.4% on shots from beyond the arc while they are 31st in college hoops in points per game allowed (67.2).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Penn Quakers took a loss by a final score of 74-70 against Yale. The Quakers snagged 24 defensive rebounds and 5 offensive boards totaling 29 for the contest. They also gave up possession 9 times, while recording 6 steals in the matchup. Yale was called for 19 fouls in the game which took the Quakers to the charity stripe for 14 attempts. They were able to bury 10 of the free throw tries for a percentage of 71.4%. In regard to shooting from 3-point land, Penn converted 10 out of their 19 tries (52.6%). When the final whistle was blown, the Quakers finished 25 for 59 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 42.4%. The Quakers allowed Yale to bury 27 of 61 tries from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 44.3% in the matchup. They finished shooting 23.1% from three-point range by going 6 of 26 and finished the game at 14 of 18 from the free throw line (77.8%). In relation to attacking the glass, Penn allowed Yale to grab 36 overall (11 offensive).

Michael Zanoni ended up having an impact for the Quakers in this matchup. He racked up 20 points in his 33 minutes on the court, but wrapped up this contest with no dimes. He knocked down 7 out of 16 for this contest for a field goal rate of 43.8%, and accounted for 2 rebounds.

Penn has a mark of 13-11 for the year. The Quakers are responsible for committing 16.9 fouls per game and they hit 69.2% from the charity stripe. They are assisting teammates 14.2 times per game (161st in Division 1) and they are turning it over 10.9 times per game. Penn has accounted for 1,831 points for the year (76.3 per game) and they collect 36.3 boards per contest. When it comes to offense, the Quakers are connecting on 44.3% from the field, which ranks them 248th in college.

The Quakers are ranked 208th in college hoops in points given up per game with 74.5. They are forcing their opponents into 11.9 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 45.5% from the floor (260th in Division 1). The Penn defense gives up 32.0% on shots from beyond the arc (183 of 571) and their opponents are converting on 67.5% of their free throw shots. They allow 14.5 assists and 35.6 boards per contest, which is ranked 268th and 258th in college hoops.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Harvard

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.