Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Quakers and Lions. The game is starting at 2:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Lions at Levien Gymnasium in New York, NY. Get ready to place your bets! Penn is favored by -1.5 in this Ivy League conference showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 146 points.

PENN QUAKERS VS COLUMBIA LIONS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Columbia Lions +1.5

This game will be played at Levien Gymnasium at 2:00 ET on Saturday, January 27th.

WHY BET THE COLUMBIA LIONS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-68 in favor of the Lions.
  • Not only will Columbia pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +1.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 146 points, and we like the under with a projected 143 points.

Does Penn Have A Chance at Levien Gymnasium?

Despite a 9-9 record, Penn has struggled on the road this season, going just 1-6. Over their last 10 road games, the Quakers are 2-8, and they come into this game having lost three straight on the road.

For the season, Penn has been the favorite in 10 of their 18 games, going 6-4 in those matchups. They will be the favorite again today, as they are favored by 1.5 points.

As the favorite this season, Penn has gone 5-5 vs. the spread. On the road, their ATS mark is just 3-7 over their last 10 games.

This season, the over/under record for Penn games is 8-8 and today’s line of 146 is similar to the average over/under line in their games this year (144.8). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 133 points and the over/under record in their games this year is 4-5.

In their recent matchup, the Penn offense ended with 61 points against Harvard. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 35.7% and made 6 threes. Leading the team in scoring is Tyler Perkins, who is averaging 14.2 heading into today’s matchup. Additionally, Clark Slajchert also maintains a PPG average of 17.4 heading into game.

Penn’s defense is currently in line with the NCAA average for points allowed, allowing an average of 72.1 points per game. So far, the Penn defense is giving up an average of 7.5 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 12.2 times per game (598th).

Can the Lions Offense Score Enough at Home?

With a 9-7 overall record, Columbia has lost four straight games, including a 70-62 loss to Princeton. Their record as an underdog this season is 2-6.

At home, the Lions have gone 4-2 this season, and over their last 10 games at home, they have gone 7-3. Their average scoring margin at home is +6.8 points per game.

As the underdog this season, Columbia has gone 3-5 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Lions have a record of 4-6 vs. the spread. However, their ATS mark as the underdog is just 1-4 over their last 5 games.

Today’s over/under line of 146 is lower than the average over/under line in Columbia’s games this year (148.8). So far, the over/under record for the Lions this year is 7-5-1. Across their last three games, the average scoring total is 153 points and their over/under record during this stretch is 2-1.

Columbia offense recently wrapped up a game with a total of 62 points against Princeton. In that game, they made 7/27 three-point attempts and achieved a field goal percentage of 41.9%. The top scorer for the Lions was Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa with 19 points, while Avery Brown also added 11 to the scoreboard.

In terms of defense, Columbia is currently on par with the NCAA average for points allowed, giving up an average of 70.6 points per game. Columbia’s three-point defense is currently 129th in the country at 7.1 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 36.3% of their shots vs. Columbia.