MIT vs Harvard prediction: Harvard opens Amaker's 20th season looking to extend its win streak over MIT to 18 straight meetings... and beyond
The Crimson start a season with Ivy title hopes against a neighbor they have beaten 18 straight times, though the scores have often been tighter than the streak suggests.
- Harvard should control a slow, half-court game at Lavietes, leaning on the defense that ranked 63rd nationally last season.
- Harvard's patient offense against an MIT team about which we have no data, in a series where many recent games stayed close.
- No line posted yet; Harvard ranked 347th of 365 in pace last season, which points to few possessions.
A streak with a catch
Harvard is 56-10 all-time against MIT and has won the last 18 meetings, including last season's 79-50 home rout. The streak looks lopsided, but the scores often haven't been: 10 of the last 12 meetings since 2012-13 were decided by single digits.
That makes this more than a warm-up. The Nov. 2 game is the official start of Tommy Amaker's 20th season in Cambridge. Both teams have exhibitions first. Harvard hosts UMass on Oct. 23 and MIT visits Boston College on Oct. 25, so the first real look at either team is still ahead.
Last season's Harvard blueprint
The Crimson went 17-12 last season by grinding opponents down. They played at 63.8 possessions per 40 minutes, 347th of 365, and allowed 66.7 points per game, 25th nationally. Their defensive efficiency, points allowed per 100 possessions, ranked 63rd.
They also closed games at the line. Harvard shot 79.9% on free throws, first in Division I. The catch is volume: their free throw rate, attempts per field goal try, ranked 352nd. If MIT keeps the margin tight, as it has in past meetings, those few trips could matter.
These are last season's numbers. We don't have a measure of how much of that roster returns, so treat them as a sketch of Amaker's style rather than a forecast.
Expectations in the Ivy
Harvard was picked second in the Ivy League preseason poll with 146 points and seven first-place votes, behind Penn. Rising seniors Thomas Batties II and Xavier Nesbitt serve as captains. No injury or eligibility news has surfaced for either team. The game streams on ESPN+.
Numbers that matter
| Straight wins over MIT | 18 | Harvard has not lost to MIT across the last 18 meetings. |
|---|---|---|
| Single-digit games | 10 of the last 12 | Most recent meetings since 2012-13 have been close despite the streak. |
| Pace rank last season | 347th | Harvard's slow tempo last season limits possessions and tends to keep scores low. |
| Free throw % last season | 79.9% | Harvard was the best free-throw shooting team in Division I last season. |
MIT vs Harvard: quick answers
When is MIT vs Harvard?
Monday, November 2, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET.