It’s a battle between the high-powered SEC and the prestigious Ivy League. The No.4 seed Auburn Tigers will face off against the No.13 seed Yale Bulldogs in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Friday afternoon. Both of these teams won their conference tournament as Auburn won the SEC Championship, beating Florida 86-67, and Yale won the Ivy League Championship by beating Brown at the buzzer 62-61. While the Ivy League is certainly not as high-powered of a conference as the SEC, Yale’s clutch gene is something to keep an eye on in this matchup. Fellow Ivy League team Princeton shocked the NCAA world last year when they made it to the Sweet Sixteen last year, beating No.2 seed Arizona and No.7 seed Missouri before losing to Creighton.
Auburn Tigers Vs. Yale Bulldogs Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | Money Line |
| Auburn Tigers | -13 -108 |
O 140.5
-110 |
-800 |
| Yale Bulldogs | +13 -112 |
U 140.5
-110 |
+550 |
| **Odds Courtesy of DraftKings** | |||
Auburn Tigers vs Yale Bulldogs Fixtures
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- Fixture: Auburn Tigers vs Yale Bulldogs
- Date and Time: March 22, 2024 @ 4:15 PM EST
- Location: Spokane Arena in Spokane, WA
Apex Tale of The Tape
| Auburn Tigers | Vs. | Yale Bulldogs |
| 27-7 | Record | 22-9 |
| 83.3 | Points Per Game | 75.2 |
| 47.5 | FG% | 47.0 |
| 35.2 | 3PT% | 34.7 |
| 37.9 | Rebounds Per Game | 37.1 |
| 68.0 | Points Allowed Per Game | 66.6 |
| 38.4 | Defensive FG% | 41.5 |
| 29.8 | Defensive 3PT% | 33.2 |
| 75.2 | FT% | 70.9 |
| 34.6 | Defensive Rebounds Against | 32.3 |
| 5-0 | Last 5 W-L | 4-1 |
| 72.6 | Team Pace | 68.2 |
Key Stats
Auburn Tigers
The Auburn Tigers have no trouble scoring. Their points per game average is the 11th most in Division I. They are also on a hot streak, winning all of their last five games. Auburn is also a force to be reckoned with as they record the 4th most blocks per game in the country with 6.2 per game. Forward Johni Broome leads the team in scoring with 16.2 points per game, an impressive field goal percentage of 54.4, and a three point percentage of 35.1. Auburn was a No.9 seed last year and lost to No.1 seed Houston in the Round of 32 80-64. They’re in a slightly better spot this year being the No.4 seed. This SEC Championship-winning team is in a good spot right now.
Yale Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are right behind the Tigers in field goal percentage, three point percentage, and rebounds. Like Auburn, Yale is also on a hot streak right now, winning four out of their last five. They’re also solid on defense, only allowing 66.6 points per game. That’s less points allowed than teams like No.1 seeds North Carolina, Purdue, and others like Kansas, Gonzaga, and Baylor. Forward Danny Wolf leads Yale in scoring with 14.6 points per game and a field goal percentage of 48.6. The team could be howling more in this game than people expect.
Injury Report
Auburn Tigers
- Guard Lior Berman (knee, out for season)
Yale Bulldogs
- None
Game Prediction
The Auburn Tigers boast the lowest opponent 2-point percentage in the nation. That’s gonna be pretty tough to overcome. The Tigers are both great on offense and defense. They are also a deep team, having three players average 10 points or more. Additionally, No. 4 seeds have won 78.9% of games with No. 13 seeds. This also comes down to strength of schedule. Sure, Yale might be around as hot as Auburn is right now. However, Auburn is 4-3 against top 25 teams. Yale is just 0-2. Yale, playing in the Ivy League, they don’t play a tough schedule. Princeton had a great story last season and a great run, but that is not going to be the case this tournament. Auburn goes on to win by a comfortable margin in this game.
