Halftime Report
Columbia is on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead LIU 39-28.
Columbia entered the game having won five straight and they're just one half away from another. Will they make it six, or will LIU step up and spoil it? We'll know soon.
Who's Playing
Columbia Lions @ LIU Sharks
Current Records: Columbia 5-0, LIU 2-2
How To Watch
- When: Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Steinberg Wellness Center -- Brooklyn, New York
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
What to Know
LIU will be in front of their home fans on Wednesday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They will host the Columbia Lions at 7:00 p.m. ET at Steinberg Wellness Center. The Sharks are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 75.5 points per game this season.
Last Friday, LIU came up short against Cal Baptist and fell 90-77.
LIU struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've posted since back in November of 2023.
Meanwhile, Columbia came tearing into Saturday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.8 points) and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 77-63 victory over the Lakers.
LIU's loss dropped their record down to 2-2. As for Columbia, their win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-0.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. LIU hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 75.5 points per game. However, it's not like Columbia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 81.4. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
While only Columbia took care of their fans the last time they played, both teams pleased bettors by covering the spread. Going forward, Columbia is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 8.5 points. This will be LIU's first time playing as the underdogs at home this season.
Odds
Columbia is a big 8.5-point favorite against LIU, 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 8.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 151.5 points.
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Series History
Columbia won the only game these two teams have played in the last year.
- Nov 21, 2023 - Columbia 77 vs. LIU 67