It will be a battle between Ivy opponents when the Columbia Lions (6-11, 1-2 Ivy) welcome the Penn Quakers (12-7, 0-3 Ivy) to Francis S. Levien Gymnasium. The game begins at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 2, 2019.
Penn Quakers vs. Columbia Lions Betting Prediction
The last time the Quakers played, they were topped by the Cornell Big Red, 80-71, and were not able to cover as 5-point underdogs. The game’s combined points (151) were over the O/U total of 140.5. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Cornell’s biggest advantages. They had 36 free throw attempts, while Penn had just 12. AJ Brodeur led Penn in scoring with 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting.
The Lions fell to the Princeton Tigers in their last matchup, 55-43, despite being 4-point favorites. The game’s total points (98) finished well under the projected point total of 141.5. Princeton’s free throw rate was their biggest advantage over Columbia. The Tigers had a rate of 0.245 (above their season average of 0.226), while the Lions posted a mark of 0.085 (below their season average of 0.153). With 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting, Patrick Tape was Columbia’s leading scorer.
After the Quakers won both matchups against the Lions last season, these teams will clash for the first time this year. In the most recent game, Penn won 74-62. The Quakers had a much better turnover percentage (11.5 vs. 21.9) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.508 vs. 0.455).
Penn heads into the contest with records of 12-7 straight up (SU) and 11-6 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when setting the total of Quakers games, with 9 unders compared to 8 overs.
Meanwhile, Columbia is 6-11 SU and 6-7-1 ATS. Games featuring the Lions have no tendency in regards to the total, as there has been an even split between games finishing over and under.
Columbia might struggle to score as they clash against one of the nation’s best defenses. Penn currently ranks 68th in defensive efficiency, while the Lions rank 200th in offensive efficiency.
Penn Quakers vs. Columbia Lions Betting Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Columbia, ATS Winner – Columbia, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Penn is 6-4 ATS on the road with 8 unders and 2 overs.
At home, Columbia is 1-2-1 ATS with 3 overs and 1 under.
Penn ranks 14th in three pointers allowed per game (18.1) while Columbia ranks 196th (24.1).
The Quakers rank seventh in assists allowed per game (9.6) while the Lions rank 105th (12.6).
Columbia ranks 131st in rebounds per game (36.3) while Penn ranks 220th in rebounds allowed per game (37.1).
The Lions rank 25th in steals per game (8.3) while the Quakers rank 102nd (6.6).
Bettings Trends:
Over its last five outings, Penn is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Columbia is 1-3 ATS with 3 unders and 1 over over its last five games.
The Quakers have been outscored by an average of 1.2 points in their last five games. For the season, Penn has defeated opponents by an average of 5.5 points.
During their last five games, the Lions have scored an average of 68.4 points per game (4.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 62.2 points per game (8.9 below their season average).
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