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The Princeton Tigers take on the Columbia Lions. Our college basketball odds series has our Princeton Columbia prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Princeton Columbia.
Conference basketball is here, which means that on Fridays for the next two months, you're going to get Ivy League basketball, with teams playing the familiar Friday-Saturday double stacks of games and adding to the color of college hoops.
Princeton and Columbia are both 1-0 in the Ivy League after winning one week ago to close out the 2022 schedule for both teams. Both teams played razor-close games, with Princeton beating Harvard 69-66 and Columbia beating Yale 62-60. Columbia's win over Yale was a real surprise. Yale was favored by 14 points over the Lions, but Columbia was able to put the clamps on the Bulldogs, limiting Yale to 21-percent shooting from 3-point range. Yale finished the game shooting under 39 percent from the field. Columbia's defense answered the bell. Princeton's win over Harvard was achieved based on a plus-three turnover differential and a 40-percent shooting day from 3-point land.
Here are the Princeton-Columbia college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
College Basketball Odds: Princeton-Columbia Odds
Princeton Tigers: -11.5 (-110)
Columbia Lions: +11.5 (-110)
Over: 139.5 (-114)
Under: 139.5 (-106)
How To Watch Princeton vs. Columbia
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
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Time: 7:00 p.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch Princeton-Columbia LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Princeton Could Cover The Spread
The Tigers are 10-4 and Columbia is 6-10. Yes, Columbia upset Yale, but it's highly unlikely that a Columbia opponent will once again shoot 21 percent on 3-point shots. Even though Columbia played good defense in that upset victory, it's still true that Yale shot unusually poorly from the field. Princeton is highly unlikely to replicate what Yale produced (or failed to produce, as it were) against the Lions. Princeton is a more athletic team and has generally been more consistent than Columbia this season. Columbia has some ugly losses on its schedule. Losing to Maryland-Eastern Shore and Fairleigh Dickinson are two of the particularly bad losses on the Lions' slate so far this season. Columbia has lost three of its last five games, so it's not as though the team was building positive momentum heading into the upset over Yale. It is best to view the win over Yale as a one-off event, and not as an indicator of continued improvement by the Lions. Princeton still has the clear upper hand.
Why Columbia Could Cover The Spread
The Lions have 10 losses so far this season, but they showed Yale what they were capable of, winning outright as a 14-point underdog. The Lions might have been lucky to an extent that Yale didn't hit 3-point shots at a remotely respectable rate, but it still remains that when Yale wasn't hitting perimeter shots, the Bulldogs couldn't easily get to the basket or to the free throw line. Good teams are able to muscle the ball to the rim when 3-pointers aren't falling. Columbia prevented Yale from doing that, so the Lions must obviously have a more capable defense than their 10 losses might suggest. Columbia used its home court to great effect in the win over Yale, a team picked by many to win the Ivy League championship before the season began. The Lions can certainly use their home floor just as well in this game against Princeton.
Final Princeton-Columbia Prediction & Pick
Princeton might win outright, but Columbia is dangerous and has shown that it can play. It will cover at home.
Final Princeton-Columbia Prediction & Pick: Columbia +11.5
