Princeton vs. Columbia Betting Analysis & Total Pick 1/6/23

Princeton (10-4 SU 4-7 ATS) vs. Columbia (6-10 SU 7-7 ATS)
When: Friday, January 6th: 7:00 ET
Where: Levien Gymnasium New York, NY
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: PRNCE -10.5/ COLMB +10.5
Total: 138.5
Money Line: Princeton Tigers -625/ Columbia Lions +440

Line Movement

This game opened with the Princeton Tigers a -10 spread favorite, but the line has climbed to as high as -12 at some betting outlets. The total has had a bit of a ride hitting most boards at 138.5, then driven down to -136.5 in the early action before reaching the current line of 139.5.

Last Game Info

Princeton is coming off a 69-66 win over Harvard. However, they did not cover the spread in the game as -6 point favorites. The combined 135 points matched the 135 total line.

Columbia will be looking for another win, as they most recently defeated Yale by a score of 62-60. The Lions also picked up an ATS victory as they were +14 point underdogs. The combined 122 points did not surpass the 131.5 total line.

Current Form

Princeton
Over their last five games, Princeton has a straight-up record of 3-2 while going 2-2 vs. the spread. Over this stretch, the Tiger’s offense averages 76.2 points per game while hitting 48.6% of their shots from the field. On the defensive end of the floor, they have allowed opponents to shoot 41.9% from the field while allowing 67.2 points per contest.

Columbia
In their previous five contests, Columbia is 2-3 straight-up and 3-2 vs. the spread. In these five games, they have a scoring average of 65.0 points per game on a shooting percentage of 38.3%. Defensively, they allow teams to hit 39.7% of their shots while giving up 65.6 points per game.

Average Power Rating Of Opponents Played

This season, the combined power rating of Princeton’s opponents comes in at 69.3. On the other side, Columbia’s combined opponent power rating sits at 71.8.

How Does Princeton Fare On The Road?

For the season, the Tigers have played five road games and have a record of 3-2. In these contests, Princeton is 3-1 vs. the spread. Offensively, they have averaged 75.2 points per game on a shooting percentage of 51.6%. On defense, the Tigers allow 65.2 points per contest when playing away from home. So far, opposing teams have a field goal percentage of 42.0% in these games.

How Does Columbia Fare At Home?

In their nine games at home, Columbia has a 3-4 record vs. the spread while going 5-4 straight-up. On offense, the Lions are shooting 41.3% on their home floor, leading to 73.1 points per game. Defensively, opponents are shooting 39.8% in these contests. The Columbia defense is allowing 66.4 points per game at home.

Offense vs. Defense

For the season, Princeton is averaging 79.9 points per game (17th) while posting an overall field goal percentage of 48.8%. In today’s game, they will be matched up against a Columbia defense that has allowed an average of 69.4 points per contest. This year, opponents have hit 41.8% of their shots vs. Columbia. On the other side, the Columbia Lions are coming into the game averaging 67.4 points per game on a shooting percentage of 42.5%. The Lions will be facing a defensive unit allowing an average of 65.1 points per contest. So far, teams have hit 41.9% of their shots vs. the Tigers.

Three-Point Shooting

From beyond the arc, Princeton has a shooting percentage of 38.8% while ranking 90th in attempts per game. The Tigers will be facing a Columbia defense that has a 3-point field goal shooting percentage allowed of 33.3%. Columbia enters the game, having hit 35.6% of their looks from deep while averaging 7.62 made 3’s per game. On the other end, Princeton has allowed opponents to hit 31.4% of their shots from beyond the arc.

Injuries Of Note

Princeton

• No Reported Injuries

Columbia

• No Reported Injuries

Pick Against The Betting Line

Princeton lit it up against some inferior competition, averaging 75.79 points per game. There were held to under 70 against Harvard in their conference opener. A number that they have only surpassed once in their last four games, and that came against (coughs) Kean College. Columbia is certainly not impressive on the offensive side of the ball, scoring 67 or fewer points in seven of their last eight lined games and going Under the total in the same number. They do play adequate defense, though, and unless they’re a little too full of themselves after the Yale win should keep the Princeton scoring down. Take the UNDER 139.5