O'Sullivan's MLK Monday Ivy Basketball Picks: Yale at Brown, Harvard at Dartmouth as travel partners battle

Seattle O’Sullivan 2021-2022 ACC season so far: 28-33, -$167.82

Seattle O’Sullivan 2021-2022 Ivy League season so far: 25-24, +$67.93

(Standing Caveat: The universe is chaotic. Life is unpredictable. Things happen. Like injuries. In following Seattle O’Sullivan’s betting advice, be advised that you should always monitor your bets during the day to make certain unforeseen things have not occurred which might change your wagering opinion. Thank you.)

Yale Bulldogs at Brown Bears, 5 pm Eastern

The Pick: Yale -104, bet $10.40 to win $10

I know, I know, I’ve been touting Brown all year. And were this game the second of a back-to-back, I’d be thinking otherwise. But Yale’s had a day to rest after pounding Cornell 96-69 in their own gym. Brown, on the other hand, fought tooth and nail before falling to Princeton 76-74 (helping me avoid a kick in the face with my parlay). I think they’ll be more fatigued than the Bulldogs, whose game against Cornell was their first since Dec. 28. Yale thinks they’re the class of the conference this year, and even though they might be proven wrong, today they’re going to have fresher legs. Brown is my sleeper pick, but it does feel like they need to learn to win these big games. I think today’s another lesson for them.

Harvard Crimson at Dartmouth Big Green, 7 pm Eastern

The Pick: Harvard -128, bet $12.80 to win $10

Harvard travels to Dartmouth today after winning easily (but not covering, as I predicted) at Columbia. The Crimson average 9.5 more points per game than the Big Green, and average 3.4 more rebounds per contest. I know that with their common opponent so far, Brown, Dartmouth won while Harvard lost. But Dartmouth got Brown on the second night of a back-to-back. Dartmouth’s adjusted offense per Pomeroy is 265th in the nation, with an adjusted pace that’s 327th. Despite the Green’s efforts to slow down the game, Harvard is just too athletic and will push the ball. They may not win the conference, but the Crimson are rounding into form. They win today.