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The Dartmouth Big Green take on the Columbia Lions. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Dartmouth Columbia prediction and pick. Find how to watch Dartmouth Columbia.
It has been a very rough ride for the Dartmouth Big Green this season. The team has won only once since December 18, and that December 18 win was against a non-Division I opponent. The Big Green have won only one Ivy League game. Their previous Division I win came on December 13 against Boston University. Wins have simply been hard to find for this team, which is languishing alongside 1-6 Penn at the bottom of the Ivy League standings.
Dartmouth has made headlines off the court. A ruling from the National Labor Relations Board has given the Dartmouth basketball team — and by extension, other college sports teams and their athletes — the ability to unionize, as ClutchPoints has reported. While one shouldn't read anything into this story in terms of how it has affected Dartmouth's performance on the court this season, it is nevertheless something bettors have had to consider when thinking about the mentality of the team in each game. Dartmouth has been losing by decisive, not small, margins in most of its Ivy League games, failing to cover the spread. When you consider the odds and lines laid out below, it is hard to escape the notion that perceptions of Dartmouth's readiness to play — and the team's level of excitement and morale — are not completely removed from the betting calculus. They're not the central driver, but they are not completely irrelevant.
It's an interesting plot point heading into Friday night's game at Columbia, which is 3-4 in the Ivy League and is tied with Harvard for fourth place in the league. The top four teams go to the Ivy League playoff for the chance to make the NCAA Tournament, so this is a very big game for Columbia.
Here are the Dartmouth-Columbia College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Dartmouth-Columbia Odds
Dartmouth Big Green: +9.5 (-115)
Columbia Lions: -9.5 (-105)
Over: 135.5 (-110)
Under: 135.5 (-110)
How To Watch Dartmouth vs Columbia
Time: 7:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm PT
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Why Dartmouth Could Cover the Spread
The Dartmouth outlook on the court is grim, but the off-court news has to be a shot in the arm for this group. The season has been difficult, but one thing bettors always look for in a team with a bad record is if it will continue to fight as the season moves into its latter weeks, or if the team will lose faith and mentally check out of games, which allows its opponents to run up big numbers and easily cover spreads. Given everything we are seeing with this Dartmouth team, it's not as though the effort isn't there. The problem is a big talent disparity. Yet, it's more likely than not that Dartmouth will at least try hard, and that's something to consider with a spread of nearly 10 whole points.
Why Columbia Could Cover the Spread
The Dartmouth story is interesting but ultimately irrelevant. Columbia is a markedly better team. Dartmouth has been getting drilled a lot in Ivy League play. Columbia is at home. Columbia really needs this win to beat out Harvard for the last spot in the four-team Ivy League playoff. Don't overthink this one.
Final Dartmouth-Columbia Prediction & Pick
You saw it written above: Don't overthink this one. Columbia is miles better and is playing at home. Take the Lions.
Final Dartmouth-Columbia Prediction & Pick: Columbia -9.5
