The Columbia Lions take on the Princeton Tigers in Princeton, NJ. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Princeton is favored by 7.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -290. The total is set at 153.5 points.
Here are my Columbia vs. Princeton predictions and college basketball picks for January 20, 2025.
Columbia vs Princeton Prediction
My Pick: Princeton -6.5 (Play to -8)
My Columbia vs Princeton best bet is on the Tigers spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Columbia vs Princeton Odds
| Columbia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -112 | 153.5 -112 / -108 | +235 |
| Princeton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -108 | 153.5 -112 / -108 | -290 |
- Columbia vs Princeton spread: Princeton -7.5
- Columbia vs Princeton over/under: 153.5 points
- Columbia vs Princeton moneyline: Princeton -290, Columbia +235
- Columbia vs Princeton best bet: Princeton -6.5 (Play to -8)
Spread
I'm taking the Tigers on the spread up to 8.
Moneyline
I'm avoiding the moneyline.
Over/Under
I like the over in this game, but I'm taking the spread.
My Pick: Princeton -6.5 (Play to -8)
Columbia vs Princeton College Basketball Betting Preview
Normally, this is a spot where I'd target Columbia as the Lions are coming in as losers of three straight, while the Tigers have won six in a row.
However, I think the Lions have played above their heads so far this season, while the Tigers have played below the level I'd expect.
On paper, Columbia's record looks good as it's 11-4 with a victory over Villanova. However, the Lions have played just two Quad 1 or Quad 2 games.
Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa (18.9 PPG) is a fantastic player, but the Lions' defense has fallen off a cliff over the past three games (allowing over 90 points in each).
That's a major concern against a Tigers team that has elite, experienced scorers in Xaivian Lee and Caden Pierce.
Most importantly, Princeton is starting to play like Princeton again. The Tigers beat Rutgers at a neutral site and opened with two Ivy League road wins over Harvard and Dartmouth.
The Tigers' average margin of victory over D-I opponents this season is 6.2 points, and that's skewed a bit by a 27-point blowout of Portland. They don't really blow teams out and Columbia has potential offensively with De La Rosa.
However, this is a spot where I expect Princeton to show that it's a step above the rest in the Ivy.
