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The Houston Cougars take on the Cal Bears in Stateline, NV. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on The CW.
Houston is favored by 17.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -3500. The total is set at 145.5 points.
Here’s my Houston vs. Cal prediction and college basketball picks for November 8, 2026.
Houston vs Cal Prediction
Pick: Houston -17.5 (Play to -20)
My Houston vs Cal best bet is on the Cougars to cover the spread. Be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page and download the Action Network app for the latest picks and analysis.
Houston vs Cal Odds
| Houston Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-17.5 -110 | 145.5 -110o / -110u | -3500 |
| Cal Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+17.5 -110 | 145.5 -110o / -110u | +1280 |
- Houston vs Cal spread: Houston -17.5 (-110), Cal +17.5 (-110)
- Houston vs Cal over/under: 145.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Houston vs Cal moneyline: Houston -3500, Cal +1280
Houston vs Cal College Basketball Preview
Houston Basketball
Kelvin Sampson is doing Kelvin Sampson things. Houston thrashed La Salle, 94-55, in the season opener. The Cougars held La Salle to 0.73 points per possession and just 33% shooting on 2s.
The Cougars' DNA is the same. They'll trap the post and force teams to turn the ball over or shoot a late-clock 3. On the offensive end, Houston will wear opponents down with its relentless effort on the boards.
Sampson finally has two really good bigs again. Jojo Tugler is back for his senior season, and he's one of the best defensive players in the country.
The newcomer is Delrecco Gillespie, who averaged a double-double at Kent State. Although he didn't notch a double-double in his Houston debut, Gillespie finished with 13 points and seven rebounds.
I'm curious how Houston's guard play comes together because I loved the Dedan Thomas Jr. addition, who averaged 16.5 points with 5.0 assists and just 1.4 turnovers a night at LSU last season. Thomas isn't a great shooter, but he's terrific in the pick-and-roll game and makes winning plays.
It seems like Corey Hadnot II will end up playing a big role, even if it's off the bench. He gives Sampson another ball-handler, as Chase McCarty and Mercy Miller round out the starting lineup as catch-and-shoot wings.
Sampson will tinker to find which combo works best, but the trio of Tugler, Gillespie and Thomas is a dream trio for Sampson.
Cal Basketball
There’s no sugarcoating it. Mark Madsen has one of the most difficult high-major gigs in the NIL era. The Golden Bears' NIL resources lag behind those of ACC counterparts, making it imperative that Madsen make the most of his team's talent.
The Golden Bears have an unblemished 2-0 record so far, but the wins came against Adams State (Non-D1) and Radford.
Thankfully for Madsen, it seems like he found a scorer in Nojus Indrusaitis, who poured in 30 points against Radford and 20 against Adams State.
Then the lack of talent quickly stands out. The next best player is … Jordan Ross? Ross is a perfect sixth man for a team with NCAA Tournament aspirations. Instead, he’s an underwhelming point guard for possibly the least talented high-major team.
The one X-factor with really high upside is Jake Wilkins, who played a decent bench role at Georgia last season. Wilkins is the son of NBA legend Dominique Wilkins and he has some of his dad's athleticism. If he can unlock other areas of his game, Cal may have found a gem.
Cal needs big man Lee Dort back, and needs him badly. He averaged 8.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game last season and had 18 rebounds against Florida State in the ACC Tournament.
Without Dort, Cal has to start Sammie Yeanay, who barely played last season and went 1-for-7 from the field against Radford.
Houston vs. Cal Pick, Betting Analysis
With Dort's status up in the air, Houston should destroy the undermanned Cal interior. If Madsen has to rely on Yeanay and Mantas Kocanas, he might run out of bigs.
Gillespie and Tugler will get those two in foul trouble quickly.
My big question: How is Cal scoring? Indrusaitis can and will shoot. So will Michael Cooper off the bench. Cal is pretty lean on shooting outside of those two, so how can the Bears score on this vaunted Houston defense?
This feels like a 20+ point win for Sampson's crew.
Pick:Â Houston -17.5 (Play to -20)
