The Columbia Lions take on the Princeton Tigers on Friday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Princeton is favored by 7.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -310. Columbia, meanwhile, comes in as a +7.5 underdog and is +230 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 48.5 points.
This will be the league opener for both teams in a real unique Ivy League season. For the first time ever, the Ivy League champ will be a participant in the FCS Playoffs in 2025.
Here’s my Columbia vs Princeton prediction and college football picks for Friday, October 3.
Columbia vs Princeton Prediction
- Columbia vs Princeton Pick: Columbia +7.5
My Columbia vs Princeton best bet is on the Lions to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Columbia vs Princeton Odds
| Columbia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -113 | 48.5 -113o / -113u | +230 |
| Princeton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -113 | 48.5 -113o / -113u | -310 |
Columbia vs Princeton College Football Betting Preview
Columbia Lions Betting Preview: Positive Momentum?
Columbia played a lot better last week in its second game of the season, defeating Georgetown by a score of 19-10.
The Lions outgained Georgetown, 291-211, as the defense stepped up in big moments in the second half. The coverage unit was solid while limiting Georgetown quarterback Dez Thomas II to just 9-of-24 passing for 67 yards and an interception.
The Hoyas were also limited to just three explosive plays.
Offensively, Columbia is still working the kinks out.
The ground game was powerless to find explosiveness, and quarterback Chase Goodwin completed just 11-of-24 passes for 151 yards.
The Lions did put together two touchdown drives in the first half and had two shorter drives set up off Hoya turnovers.
Princeton Tigers Betting Preview: Defense is Key
Princeton rebounded nicely from a season-opening loss, defeating Lafayette College last week, 38-28.
The offense capitalized on three Leopard turnovers, which set up short fields.
The Tigers were efficient both on the ground and through the air in the red zone. While splitting reps at quarterback, both Kai Colon and Blaine Hipa combined to throw for 205 yards on 21 completions without an interception.
Defensively, Princeton has struggled badly this season, getting outgained in both of its games. On the season, the Tigers are giving up 441 yards and 35 points per game.
The secondary isn't strong enough in pass coverage, and the defensive front hasn't generated any pass rush up to this point.
Defensive improvement will go a long way in helping Princeton to get out of the bottom half of the Ivy League this season. However, a lack thereof will keep it there.
Columbia vs Princeton Pick, Betting Analysis
We saw this line open at Princeton -9.5, but a bit of action on Columbia has driven this price down to -7.5. I agree with the move here and am taking Columbia +7.5 for a small FCS play as part of a loaded Friday night slate of college football.
I simply can't trust the Tigers defense to consistently secure stops, as they've shown that they're unable to do so. The defense has yielded 5.8 yards per play and has given up 63% of third-down conversion attempts against them.
The red-zone defense hasn't been any better, as the Tigers have allowed all eight opponent red-zone trips to end in touchdowns.
Columbia has had a poor offense in the Ivy League for the last several years, but the quarterback situation is now solidified, and the Lions have experience along the offensive line.
We saw this group play better last week against Georgetown, and I feel this week will be an opportunity for Goodwin to shine at the quarterback position.
Princeton has given up completions on 74% of attempts this season and has a nonexistent pass rush that has generated just one sack and six tackles for loss this season. In fact, PFF grades the Tigers' pass rush as the worst in the Ivy League.
Goodwin has been sacked just twice in two games this year, and I expect a clean pocket for him all night.
Columbia has three solid Ivy League receivers in Titus Evans, Braden Dougherty and Hutch Crow, who can stretch the field and make contested catches.
The Princeton secondary grades out as the second-worst in the conference, and without a pass rush to force the issue, I expect the Lions to have their best passing day of the season.
Princeton is still figuring out what it wants to be offensively while rotating two quarterbacks and assessing the running back room. While the Tigers scored a bunch of points last week, they were aided by three short-field touchdowns.
Princeton has run 130 total plays on the season, and only five of them have been explosive. I don’t think this team has the ability to attack downfield with a quick-strike nature. Everything will have to be earned against the Columbia defense.
I expect this one to be lower-scoring and for Columbia to battle hard in a series where it's no stranger to close games.
Pick: Columbia +7.5
