The 13th-seeded Yale Bulldogs will look to capture their second-ever NCAA Tournament win when they take on the fourth-seeded Auburn Tigers in an East Region showdown in Spokane, Wash., on Friday. The Bulldogs (22-9), winners of the Ivy League Tournament, are 1-7 in six previous tournament appearances. The only win was a 79-75 victory over Baylor in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. The Tigers (27-7), winners of the SEC Tournament, have made the last three NCAAs and 13 overall. Auburn has one Final Four appearance, coming in 2019.
The game from Spokane Arena tips off at 4:15 p.m. ET. Auburn has the seventh-best point differential in the country at plus-15.2, while Yale is 41st at plus-8.5. The Tigers are 13.5-point favorites in the latest Yale vs. Auburn odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 140.5. Before making any Auburn vs. Yale picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Yale vs. Auburn and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Auburn vs. Yale:
- Yale vs. Auburn spread: Auburn -13.5
- Yale vs. Auburn over/under: 140.5 points
- Yale vs. Auburn money line: Yale +596, Auburn -926
- YALE: The Bulldogs have covered the spread in 12 of their last 18 games.
- AUB: The Tigers are 21-12-1 against the spread this season.
- Yale vs. Auburn picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Auburn can cover
Junior forward Johni Broome powers the Tigers. He registered a pair of double-doubles in the SEC Tournament, including a 19-point and 11-rebound effort in the title game win over Florida. In the 86-67 victory over the Gators, he also had three assists and three blocks. He scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in an 86-55 quarterfinal win over South Carolina. In 34 games, including 33 starts, he is averaging 16.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.1 assists in 24.7 minutes.
Senior forward Jaylin Williams is one of three Tigers averaging double-digit scoring. In 33 games, including 32 starts, he is averaging 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 24 minutes. The fifth-year player scored 13 points, while adding four assists, four rebounds and two blocks in the win over Mississippi State in Saturday's SEC Tournament semifinal. He scored a season-high 26 points in a 99-81 win over Alabama on Feb. 7. See which team to pick here.
Why Yale can cover
Senior forward Matt Knowling continues to be a force on offense for the Bulldogs. He has reached double-digit scoring in 13 of the last 14 games, including in each of the last three games. He scored 11 points, while grabbing five assists and five rebounds in the 62-61 win over Brown in Sunday's Ivy League title game. He had 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the 69-57 semifinal win over Cornell on Saturday. In 26 games, including 24 starts, he is averaging 11.8 points, five rebounds and 2.6 assists in 28.1 minutes.
For the second year in a row, junior guard Bez Mbeng is averaging double-digit scoring for the Bulldogs. In 31 games, all starts, he is averaging 11.3 points, 4.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 32.2 minutes. He had 10 rebounds in the semifinals against Cornell, and registered a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists in an 80-60 win over Harvard on March 2. He also recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds in a 75-65 overtime loss to Weber State in November. See which team to pick here.
How to make Yale vs. Auburn picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 147 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Yale vs. Auburn, and which side of the spread cashes in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Yale vs. Auburn spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $1,700 on its college basketball picks this season, and find out.
