Pennsylvania vs Columbia Prediction 1/30/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Penn Quakers and the Columbia Lions meet Friday in college basketball action from Levien Gym in New York. Here’s a Penn vs Columbia prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Penn vs Columbia pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Penn Quakers Betting Preview

Penn started out the season on a pretty good run but faltered in December. The Quakers lost to only American and Providence in their first seven games, then fell to Hofstra, Villanova, Rutgers, George Mason and Princeton over the next seven outings. Since then it’s been wins over Brown and Dartmouth then losses to Harvard and Yale. That gives the Quakers a 9-9 record so far.

In the Yale matchup last Saturday the Quakers were in the locker room looking up at a 40-30 deficit on the scoreboard. Penn didn’t end up getting any closer than that, hitting a 37-30 second half on the way to a home loss 77-60 in the end. AJ Levine put up 17 points with seven assists and four rebounds while both TJ Power and Ethan Roberts added 12 points apiece.

Columbia Lions Betting Preview

Over on the Lions’ side, they also opened the year on a nice run. Columbia’s only loss during a 9-1 start this season came versus UConn on November 10. Since then it’s been a 4-5 stretch though, featuring losses to Stony Brook, California, Harvard, Brown and Yale alongside wins over North Florida, Penn St. Abington, Cornell and Dartmouth. That gives the Lions a 13-6 run in 19 games this year.

In the Dartmouth matchup on Saturday the Lions went into the second half with a 31-31 tie. Columbia hit a 48-38 run the rest of the way, powering out a 79-69 win on the road as the game finished up. Kenny Noland led the team with his 29 points and 10 rebounds while Hampton Sanders added 16 points with four assists and two rebounds in 32 minutes.

Penn Quakers @ Columbia Lions Betting Trends: January 30, 2026

Why the Columbia Lions will win

• Columbia has won seven of its last eight home games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Penn has lost five of its last six road games.
• Penn has lost the first half in nine of its last 11 night games against the Ivy League.

Why the Penn Quakers will win

• Columbia has lost each of its last 13 night games against the Ivy League.
• Penn has won each of its last five night games at Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium.
• Penn has won the first half in eight of its last nine games against Columbia.

Penn vs Columbia Prediction

I’ll stick with Columbia. The Lions are coming off a solid road win over a middling Dartmouth team in their most recent outing, shooting 42.1 percent from the field, 40.7 percent (11-of-27) from 3-point range and 71.4 percent (20-of-28) from the line. Columbia added a 38-30 rebounding advantage but did have 12 turnovers along the way. The Lions are still just 1-3 in their last four games though, giving up 69 or more points in all four of those outings.

As for Penn, they shot just 38.2 percent from the field and 61.1 percent (11-of-18) from the free throw line in their latest loss to Yale. The Quakers put up a 37-26 rebounding deficit and got outscored in the paint 42-24. Penn has scored just 123 combined points across their last two games (both losses).

Andrew Jett's Pick: Columbia Lions -5.5