A key college battle sees the visiting Manhattan Jaspers travelling to Columbia Saturday to take on the Lions.

Columbia battles the Jaspers, currently sitting with a 3-7 mark (4-5 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, always important for totals bettors, are 1-0 for the Lions and 2-3 for the Jaspers.



View Manhattan vs Columbia Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Lions were listed as 7-point favorites at most sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark earlier in the day. It opened first at Sportsbook, where the total was expected shortly.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Lions rated this week at No. 188 and the Jaspers sitting at No. 319. It may or may not play a role in Odds Shark score prediction modelling that produced a 68-54 result in favor of the Lions.



How They Match Up:
Rating these schools in several key categories is important for handicappers and Columbia has the nation's No. 226-rated offensive output, at 65.4 PPG. The visiting Jaspers defense ranks No. 172 allowing on average 66 PPG. The Lions FG% has averaged 42.4% so far, more than the Jaspers marksmen have achieved on the year, 39.1% per game.

Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Manhattan owns the country's No. 150-rated mark, allowing 69.4 points per game on the highway. Columbia, on the other hand, rates No. 264 in scoring at home.

In their last action, Manhattan was a 63-57 loser at home against South Carolina. They failed to cover the 2-point spread as underdogs. Shane Richards scored 18 points in a futile effort to lead the Jaspers to a win (they lost 63-57 to South Carolina at Barclays Center on Saturday).

Last time out for Columbia, they were a 70-69 loser as they battled Elon at home. They failed to cover in the match as a 4.5-point favorite. The Lions endured a 70-69 loss at the hands of the Phoenix on Saturday, despite a 20-point effort from Steve Frankoski at Levien Gym.


Manhattan Jaspers Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Stony Brook are 0-1
After a loss are 6-4

Columbia Lions Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Colgate are 1-2
After playing Elon are 1-1
After a loss are 3-7

A few Jaspers at Lions trends to consider:
Manhattan is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Columbia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


Next up:
Manhattan home to Stony Brook, Tuesday, January 1
Columbia home to Colgate, Wednesday, January 2