Check out our free Yale vs Columbia pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in New York. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Yale vs Columbia Pick & Preview: Saturday, December 31st Betting Odds
Bulldogs vs Lions Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Yale Bulldogs at Columbia Lions
- Where: New York at Levien Gymnasium
- Date: Saturday, December 31st
- Betting Odds: Yale -14.5, YALE -1581 | COLMB +845 O/U 132.5
Bulldogs Preview:
The Yale will take the floor in today’s game in the middle of a 2 game win streak and have an overall record of 10-3. So far, the Bulldogs have played 9 games on the road, with a record of 6-3. This season, Yale has been favored to win in 7 games, sitting with a mark of 7-0. For today’s contest, Yale have a betting line set -14.5 points in their favor.
Yale’s leading scorer this season is Matt Knowling who is averaging 16.2 points per contest. So far, Knowling has accounted for 16.28% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 4.7 rebounds per game and 2.1 assists. John Poulakidas is the second leading scorer for the Bulldogs, averaging 11.23 points per game. Between him and Poulakidas, they are accounting for 31.0% of the team’s scoring.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for Yale this season, as they are currently ranked 166th in college basketball at 72.3 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that that have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Bulldogs’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 33.0%, placing them 326th in the NCAA.
Lions Preview:
Columbia heads into this matchup having played 15 games and have an overall record sitting at 5-10. So far this season, Columbia has played 8 games at home, sitting with a record of 4-4. For the season, Columbia has been the underdog in 12 games, sitting with a mark of 2-10. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Lions being +14.5 point underdogs.
Columbia will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa who is averaging 12.6 points per game for the Lions. Rosa is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Lions’ offensive gameplan is the play of Avery Brown who has hit 39.8% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 9.4 points per game.
Coming into today’s game, Columbia will be looking from some improved play from their offense. Currently, the Lions are ranked 317th at 67.4 points per game. A major reason for their low scoring mumbers is the fact that they tend to work the clock on offense. This year, they are the 302nd ranked team in terms of pace. When looking at their 3-point shooting numbers, Columbia is close to the NCAA average at 35.6%.
Free Spread Prediction: Yale Bulldogs -14.5
When analyzing this matchup between the Yale Bulldogs and the Columbia Lions, we see grabbing Yale to come out on top and cover the spread. The oddsmakers have Yale as the heavy favorite with a point spread sitting at -14.5. Not only only do we like the Yale’s historical performance as the favorite, as they are 3-2 vs the spread in their last 5 games when favored to win. But, they are matched up against a team that plays a similar style of basketball. So far, both Yale and Columbia are near the NCAA average in possessions per game. Before tip-off, go ahead and get your bet down on the Yale to win and cover the spread.
