Halftime Report
Penn is giving their home crowd exactly what they were hoping for. After one quarter, neither squad has the contest in the bag, but Penn leads 44-42 over Columbia.
If Penn keeps playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 6-11 in no time. On the other hand, Columbia will have to make due with an 11-6 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Columbia Lions @ Penn Quakers
Current Records: Columbia 11-5, Penn 5-11
How To Watch
What to Know
We’ve got another exciting Ivy matchup on schedule as the Columbia Lions and the Penn Quakers are set to tip at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Palestra. The Quakers have the home-court advantage, but the Lions are expected to win by 4.5 points.
Columbia is headed into Saturday’s match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Monday. They took a 71-67 hit to the loss column at the hands of Princeton. That’s two games in a row now that the Lions have lost by exactly four points.
Meanwhile, Penn came into Monday’s game having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They took down Harvard 82-67 on Monday. That 15 point margin sets a new team best for the Quakers this season.
Columbia’s loss dropped their record down to 11-5. As for Penn, their win ended a six-game drought on the road and puts them at 5-11.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Columbia just can’t miss this season, having made 49.2% of their field goals per game. It’s a different story for Penn, though, as they’ve only made 40.8% of their field goals this season. Given Columbia’s sizable advantage in that area, Penn will need to find a way to close that gap.
Columbia came up short against Penn when the teams last played back in March of 2024, falling 84-72. Can Columbia avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Columbia is a 4.5-point favorite against Penn, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 4.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 151.5 points.
See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Penn has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Columbia.
- Mar 02, 2024 – Penn 84 vs. Columbia 72
- Jan 27, 2024 – Columbia 84 vs. Penn 81
- Feb 03, 2023 – Penn 74 vs. Columbia 65
- Jan 07, 2023 – Penn 84 vs. Columbia 55
- Feb 04, 2022 – Penn 81 vs. Columbia 66
- Jan 08, 2022 – Columbia 73 vs. Penn 69
- Mar 07, 2020 – Penn 85 vs. Columbia 65
- Feb 08, 2020 – Penn 76 vs. Columbia 67
- Feb 22, 2019 – Columbia 79 vs. Penn 77
- Feb 02, 2019 – Penn 72 vs. Columbia 70
