The Patriot League Tournament will see a first-time matchup in the championship game Wednesday night when the Colgate Raiders take on the Lehigh Mountain Hawks. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from Cotterell Court, Colgate's home venue, in Hamilton, New York. The programs have met 10 times in the Patriot League Tournament, but never before in the championship game. Lehigh (13-17) holds a 6-4 edge in the tournament meetings, but the Raiders (24-9) hold an overall 63-42 edge in the all-time series and have won six consecutive head-to-head contests.
The Raiders are 8-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 135.5 in the latest Lehigh vs. Colgate odds via SportsLine consensus. Before making any Colgate vs. Lehigh picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the proven SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters 2024 conference championship week on a 145-104 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 28-18 (+820) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Colgate vs. Lehigh and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Lehigh vs. Colgate:
- Lehigh vs. Colgate point spread: Colgate -8
- Lehigh vs. Colgate over/under total: 135.5 points
- Lehigh vs. Colgate money line: Colgate -369, Lehigh +288
- LH: The Mountain Hawks are 11-1 against the spread as an underdog this season.
- COL: The Raiders are 11-9 ATS in conference games this season.
- Lehigh vs. Colgate picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Colgate can cover
The Raiders have a proven leader on their sideline who already has guided the program to four Patriot League championships. Colgate coach Matt Langel has compiled one of the most decorated resumes in the history of the conference, and another victory Wednesday will add some important milestones to his profile.
With a victory Wednesday, Langel will tie former Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon for most victories in the Patriot League Tournament with 21. O'Hanlon spent 27 seasons with Lafayette before retiring at the end of the 2022 season, while Langel is in his 13th season with the Raiders.
Langel, 46, also has a chance to become the all-time leader in Patriot League Tournament championships with five with what would be the program's fourth consecutive tournament title. He is currently tied with former Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard with four.
Langel inherited a seven-win team, and it took six seasons under his watch before the Raiders posted a winning record. However, they have registered at least 23 victories in the last five full seasons. See which team to pick here.
Why Lehigh can cover
The Mountain Hawks stumbled to a 2-8 start but were sharpened for conference play with a brutal non conference schedule that included matchups with Power 5 stalwarts such as North Carolina, Providence and Penn State.
They appear to be peaking just in time, with wins in seven of their last nine contests and the two defeats coming by five combined points. Lehigh dropped its regular-season finale 63-60 to Colgate and had a chance to win despite shooting just 20% from 3-point range and losing the rebounding battle 39-28. They stayed close behind a sterling defense that forced 17 turnovers and pushed a pace that led to a 13-6 edge in fast-break points.
The Mountain Hawks also benefit from the production of a set of savvy guards who have taken turns stepping up in big moments. Freshman Cam Gillus, who is averaging 5.5 points per game, went for a season-high 30 in the overtime semifinal win against Boston University, His previous season high was 12 points. Leading scorer Tyler Whitney-Sidney (15.4 ppg), a sophomore, went for 21. See which team to pick here.
How to make Lehigh vs. Colgate picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 144 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Colgate vs. Lehigh, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $1,700 on its college basketball picks this season, and find out.
