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The Harvard Crimson take on the Brown Bears in Pawtucket, RI. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on FOX.
Harvard is favored by -13.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -590. The total is set at 49.5 points.
Here’s my Harvard vs Brown prediction and college football pick for Friday, September 25, 2026.
Harvard vs Brown Prediction
- Harvard vs Brown Pick: Under 49.5
My Harvard vs Brown best bet is on the under. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Harvard vs Brown Odds
| Harvard Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-13.5 -113 | 49.5 -113o / -113u | -590 |
| Brown Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+13.5 -113 | 49.5 -113o / -113u | +390 |
- Harvard vs Brown point spread: Harvard -13.5 (-113), Brown +13.5 (-113)
- Harvard vs Brown over/under: 49.5 (-113o / -113u)
- Harvard vs Brown moneyline: Harvard -590, Brown +390
Harvard vs Brown College Football Preview
Harvard Crimson
Harvard came into this season with a very different offensive feel after Jaden Craig departed for TCU in the offseason.
Charlie Smith started his first college game last week against New Hampshire, completing 11-of-19 passes for just 71 yards.
Cole Allen and Xaviah Bascon split the workload at running back while combining to rush for 113 yards on 27 carries.
The Crimson ran the ball on 67% of their offensive snaps against New Hampshire, but struggled to get much of the offense going for long stretches.
Smith missed some downfield throws while working out the jitters of being a starting quarterback for the first time. Harvard didn't display the same level of offensive potency, scoring only as many points as it did because it was set up by New Hampshire turnovers and special teams miscues.
Harvard had touchdown-scoring drives of 13, 32 and 25 yards, and converted just 3-of-12 third-down attempts.
The stout Harvard front showed up in the opener while regularly making plays in the New Hampshire backfield. Sean Line had 10 tackles and a pair of sacks, while Josh Fedd also had two sacks.
Harvard registered seven sacks overall against New Hampshire QB Brooks Bentley while the defense made 11 tackles-for-loss. The coverage unit struggled with some of the quick passing New Hampshire deployed, but it allowed just one explosive passing play.
New Hampshire didn't have much success on early downs and found itself in a third-down situation 20 times in this game.
This Harvard defense is going to be a problem for teams in the Ivy League this season and will likely round into what amounts to the conference's best stop unit.
Brown Bears
Brown battled through turnovers, negative plays and a lack of offensive consistency in its 17-10 win over New Haven on the road on Saturday afternoon.
The pass-happy Bears saw quarterback James Murphy complete 26-of-38 passes for 343 yards with a pair of interceptions. Murphy was under pressure consistently and was sacked four times.
Matt Childs ran the ball for 53 yards and a pair of touchdowns and also hauled in three pass receptions for 87 yards.
Brown scored its second touchdown with 12 minutes remaining in the second quarter, but could only manufacture three more points the rest of the way as the offense regularly stalled out while failing to convert on third down.
This offense will have to execute at a high level in key situations if Brown wants to move the ball against Harvard on Friday.
The Brown defense played really well in holding New Haven to 278 total yards and 10 points. Of the 74 plays run by the Chargers against Brown’s defense, only one went for longer than 20 yards, and the Bears also registered three sacks.
The Brown coverage unit stayed disciplined and kept the damage limited to underneath throws while the front played very well against the run, allowing just 2.3 yards per carry.
Brown will need the spirited defensive effort to carry over against Harvard this week if the Bears want to find themselves in a close, competitive game, something this series has seen a lot of in recent years.
Harvard vs Brown Pick, Betting Analysis
This line opened with Harvard listed as a 13.5-point favorite with a total set at 49.5. I like the under in this matchup.
Harvard doesn't have nearly the offensive potency we've come accustomed to seeing from this Crimson team. The quarterback play is down several notches, as Smith lacks the dual-threat capabilities of his predecessor and struggles under pressure.
Smith struggled with his ball placement on deep throws, forcing the ball into coverage on several occasions.
I don't think the Crimson are going to register explosive plays on the pass, and every drive will have to be methodical.
The Crimson offense also struggled running the ball against New Hampshire on third down. Many of the conversion attempts were short-yardage attempts, and the Crimson offensive line couldn't assert its dominance over the New Hampshire front.
Nate Bailey did wiggle out of trouble on one touchdown run, but Harvard was set up for three short-field touchdowns due to special teams coverage errors.
This game is being played at a neutral venue in Pawtucket, RI, and the current weather forecast calls for a sustained wind of 15-18 MPH with 33-40 MPH gusts during the game.
Local weather forecasts call for even stronger sustained winds during the game. Brown isn't going to be able to throw the football and will have no choice but to resort to running the ball more.
I like the Bears' primary back — Child — and believe he'll be able to have moderate success against the Harvard front, but Brown is going to have to take its time and slow the pace to take advantage any time it crosses midfield.
The Bears should run the football in this one, and I seriously doubt we'll see 38 pass attempts — as we did in the opener against New Haven.
This game should be a slow-burning slog, and the wind will play a factor. As mentioned, Harvard doesn't have the same level of offensive punch we've seen in prior seasons, and both teams will run the ball a lot.
Look for field-goal kicking and passing to be affected by the wind, and for both defenses to step up and limit big plays.
Pick: Under 49.5 Points
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