Columbia Lions vs Cornell Big Red Prediction, 1/5/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Columbia Lions vs Cornell Big Red

Date: Monday, January 5, 2026

Location: Newman Arena in Ithaca, NY

TV: ESPN+

The Columbia Lions (11-3) are traveling to Newman Arena on Monday where they will compete against the Cornell Big Red (6-6).

The Columbia Lions played Penn State Abington and earned the victory with a final of 106-51 in their last game. Columbia walked away from the game having earned a 56.6% FG percentage (43 out of 76) and knocked down 9 of their 24 shots from distance. At the charity stripe, the Lions knocked down 11 of 19 attempts for a percentage of 57.9%. Concerning rebounding, they compiled 55 with 18 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 33 assists in this matchup as well as forcing the other team into 10 turnovers and earning 7 steals. In terms of the defense, Columbia allowed the other team to shoot 27.3% from the field on 15 out of 55 shooting. Penn State Abington totaled 9 assists and had 9 steals in the game. Furthermore, Penn State Abington snagged 20 rebounds (7 offensive, 13 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. Penn State Abington ended up shooting 62.1% when shooting free throws by making 18 of 29 attempts. They also made 3 of their 17 attempts from beyond the arc. In relation to personal fouls, the Lions ended up finishing with 19 while Penn State Abington totaled 16 personal fouls.

Gerard O'Keefe is a guy who was a factor for this contest. He shot 63.6% from the floor and also totaled 3 assists. He played 28 mins played and pulled down 1 rebound. He racked up 19 points on 7 of 11 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Betting Picks

Columbia enters this game with a record of 11-3 so far this season. They currently have an average of 81.3 points per outing (106th in Division 1) while going 49.6% from the field. The Lions are hitting 37.6% from downtown (120 of 319) and 71.1% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Columbia is pulling in 44.0 rebounds per contest and has accounted for 243 assists on the year, which has them ranked 44th in Division 1 in terms of passing the ball. They are turning it over 13.6 times per game and as a squad are committing 16.6 fouls on a nightly basis.

When they are on defense, the Lions have forced 9.9 turnovers per contest while drawing 15.4 personal fouls. They are giving up 30.3% on 3-pointers and they are 56th in the country in points per game allowed (67.1). The Lions defense is allowing an opponent shooting percentage of 39.8% (334 of 840) and they relinquish 29.4 boards per contest as a squad. They are ranked 174th in college hoops in allowing assists to the opposition with 180 surrendered this season.

When they last stepped on the court, the Cornell Big Red took a defeat with a final score of 114-97 when they faced Michigan State. When it comes to how they rebounded, Cornell allowed Michigan State to pull down 43 overall (13 on the offensive glass). They went 46.4% from three-point range by shooting 13 of 28 and finished the game at 29 out of 43 at the free throw line (67.4%). The Big Red permitted Michigan State to convert 36 of 65 tries from the floor which had them sitting at 55.4% for this contest. When the final whistle blew, the Big Red ended up shooting 32 out of 70 from the field which had them shooting 45.7%. When it comes to shooting from downtown, Cornell knocked down 15 out of their 44 tries (34.1%). They were able to knock down 18 of the free throw tries for a rate of 78.3%. Michigan State had 20 fouls in the matchup which took the Big Red to the free throw line for a total of 23 shots. They also gave up possession of the ball 11 times, while recording 7 steals for this game. The Big Red were able to pull down 20 defensive rebounds and 9 offensive rebounds for a total of 29 for the matchup.

Cooper Noard was important for the Big Red for this game. He converted 5 out of 12 for this contest giving him a rate of 41.7%, and added 4 rebounds. He racked up 19 points in his 24 minutes on the hardwood and tallied 1 assist for the game.

Cornell has a win-loss mark of 6-6 on the season. The Big Red are committing 21.3 personal fouls per game and they shoot 73.3% from the charity stripe. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 21.3 times per game (4th in the country) and they turn it over 13.2 times per game. Cornell has scored 1,091 pts for the campaign (90.9 per contest) and they average 35.9 rebounds per contest. As an offense, the Big Red are shooting 49.0% from the field, which is 53rd in college.

The Cornell defense allows 38.0% on three-point shots (108 of 284) and their opponents are knocking down 67.9% of their free throw attempts. They have allowed 15.9 assists and 35.3 rebounds every game, which has them ranked 315th and 230th in Division 1. The Big Red defensively are ranked 354th in college hoops in points per game surrendered with 87.3. They are forcing 12.5 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 48.4% from the field (343rd in college).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Columbia

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.