The top-seeded Colgate Raiders will be looking to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season when they take on the sixth-seeded Lafayette Leopards on Wednesday in the Patriot League Tournament title game. The Raiders (25-8, 17-1 Patriot), who are looking to make their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth in the past five years, have won eight in a row and 19 of the past 20 games. The Leopards (11-22, 7-11), who entered the conference tournament on a four-game losing streak, have now reeled off two straight victories. Lafayette is looking to earn its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Colgate leads the all-time series 59-53, including a 33-19 series edge in games played in Hamilton. The Raiders are 14-point favorites in the latest Lafayette vs. Colgate odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 133.5. Before making any Colgate vs. Lafayette picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters conference tournament week 76-51 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,200 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now the model has zeroed in Colgate vs. Lafayette and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Lafayette vs. Colgate:
- Lafayette vs. Colgate spread: Colgate -14
- Lafayette vs. Colgate over/under: 133.5 points
- Lafayette vs. Colgate money line: Lafayette +700, Colgate -1100
- LAF: The Leopards are 14-5 against the spread in their last 19 road games against a team with a home winning % of greater than .600
- COL: The Raiders are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall
- Lafayette vs. Colgate picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Colgate can cover
Senior guard Oliver Lynch-Daniels has been red hot, and is coming off a 21-point performance in the semifinal win over Army. He also had 15 points and three assists in the quarterfinals against Loyola Maryland. Lynch-Daniels had a monster game at Lafayette in the last meeting on Feb. 22, scoring 14 points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out two assists. He had 11 points in three assists in the Jan. 28 meeting with the Leopards. For the season, he is averaging 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Freshman guard Braeden Smith has come up big for Colgate as well. He is averaging 11.8 points, 4.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals. He had a big game against Loyola Maryland in the quarterfinals, scoring 19 points, while grabbing six boards and dishing out three assists. He has had five 20-plus scoring games on the year, including a season-high 24 points in a 76-60 win at Lehigh on Jan. 2.
Why Lafayette can cover
The Leopards have surprised so far in the tournament and are one win away from earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Senior forward Leo O'Boyle has been a big reason for that. He leads the team, averaging 11.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds in Sunday's double-overtime win over American. He just missed a double-double in Thursday's quarterfinal win at Lehigh, scoring 14 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
Also helping lead Lafayette is freshman Josh Rivera. In two games against the Raiders this season, he is averaging 15 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and one assist per game. He had 24 points in the quarterfinals at Lehigh. In 31 games, including 21 starts, Rivera is averaging 10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He has reached double-digit scoring in 15 games, including two double-doubles. One of the double-doubles was against Colgate on Jan. 28 with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
How to make Lafayette vs. Colgate picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 143 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time. You can only see the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Colgate vs. Lafayette? And which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
