Half-time report
Columbia gives its audience exactly what they were hoping for. They jumped out to an early 40-39 lead against Yale.
Columbia came into the game with extra motivation after the loss they suffered the last time these two teams met. We’ll see if they are able to flip the script or if it will just be more of the same.
Who’s playing
Yale Bulldogs @ Columbia Lions
Current records: Yale 8-6, Columbia 11-3
How to watch
What you need to know
Columbia will be in front of their home fans on Saturday, but a look at the seeding shows they might need that home-field advantage. They and the Yale Bulldogs will face off in a Battle of the Ivy at 2 p.m. ET at the Francis S. Levien Gymnasium. The Lions strut with some offensive power as they have averaged 81.9 points per game this season.
Columbia heads into Saturday’s game hungry for a win as its strong season has now been derailed by two straight losses. They fell 94-83 to Cornell on Saturday. It was the first time this season the Lions let their fans down at home.
Meanwhile, Yale won against Brown on Saturday by a conclusive score of 79-58. The Bulldogs have made a habit of sweeping opponents off the field, having won six games by 21 points or more this season.
Columbia’s loss ended an eight-game home winning streak and dropped them to 11-3. As for Yale, their victory was their fifth straight at home, which improved their record to 8-6.
Saturday’s game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Columbia has been insanely accurate this season, making 50 percent of its field goals per game. However, it’s not like Yale is struggling in this department as they have made 48.8% of their field goals this season. Given these competing forces, it will be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
While only Columbia took care of its fans the last time it played, neither team managed to cover. Looking ahead, Yale is the favorite as experts expect them to win by 8.5 points. They might be worth a quick bet since they’ve covered the spread the last five times they’ve played.
Odds
Yale is a big 8.5-point favorite over Columbia, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line drifted a bit toward the Bulldogs, as the game opened with the Bulldogs as 6-point favorites.
The over/under is 153 points.
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History of the series
Yale has won 8 of its last 10 games against Columbia.
- February 24, 2024 – Yale 84 vs. Columbia 76
- January 15, 2024 – Yale 89 v. Colombia 70
- February 11, 2023 – Yale 99 vs. Columbia 68
- December 31, 2022 – Columbia 62 vs. Yale 60
- February 12, 2022 – Yale 84 vs. Columbia 59
- January 25, 2022 – Yale 83 v. Colombia 72
- February 22, 2020 – Yale 83 vs. Columbia 65
- January 31, 2020 – Yale 93 v. Colombia 62
- March 2, 2019 – Columbia 83 vs. Yale 75
- February 15, 2019 – Yale 70 vs. Columbia 64
