The Columbia Lions (6-20, 1-9 Ivy) look to put an end to their six-game losing streak when they meet the Harvard Crimson (18-7, 7-3 Ivy) at Francis S. Levien Gymnasium. The game can be seen on ESPNews at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, February 28, 2020.
Harvard Crimson vs. Columbia Lions Betting Prediction
The Crimson will be hoping for a similar result after topping the Penn Quakers in their last contest, 69-65. The Crimson had a much better free throw rate (0.183 vs. 0.054) and had an offensive rebounding percentage of 41.7 (above their season average of 30.0). Harvard rallied around Noah Kirkwood, who was the game’s high scorer with 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting.
In the Lions’ last game, they got blown out by the Yale Bulldogs, 83-65. Yale won the rebounding battle. The Bulldogs had more offensive rebounds (14 vs. five), defensive rebounds (30 vs. 20) and total rebounds (44 vs. 25). With 37 points on 14-for-24 shooting, Mike Smith was the top scorer from either team.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, the Lions lost 77-73. Smith scored a game-high 38 points. The Crimson had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (33.3 vs. 18.0) and had a better free throw rate (0.173 vs. 0.143).
Second-chance points could be rare for Columbia in this contest. The Lions are among the NCAA’s elite on the offensive glass, ranking 344th in offensive rebounding percentage at 20.7 percent. Meanwhile, Harvard ranks 55th in the nation at corralling defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 75.3 percent.
Harvard Crimson at Columbia Lions Betting Pick
Prediction: ATS Winner – Columbia, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
Harvard ranks 54th in rebounds per game (38.3) while Columbia ranks 250th in rebounds allowed per game (38.2).
The Crimson average 5.4 blocks per game, which ranks 11th in the country. The Lions rank 164th in blocks allowed per game (4.1).
Harvard ranks 37th in assists allowed per game (10.7) while Columbia ranks 149th (12.8).
The Crimson rank 140th in three pointers attempted per game (22.1) while the Lions rank 195th in three pointers allowed per game (22.7).
The Crimson’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.0, down from 6.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Lions have scored an average of 68.2 points per game (3.8 above their season average) and allowed an average of 75.6 points per game (6.6 above their season average).