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The La Salle Explorers take on the Houston Cougars in Houston, Texas. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Houston is favored by -28.5 points on the spread. The total is set at 139.5 points.
Here’s my La Salle vs. Houston prediction and college basketball picks for November 2, 2026.
La Salle vs Houston Prediction
Pick: Under 139.5 (Play to 135.5)
My La Salle vs Houston best bet is on the under. 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.
La Salle vs Houston Odds
| La Salle Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+28.5 -104 | 139.5 -110o / -110u | +6500 |
| Houston Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-28.5 -118 | 139.5 -110o / -110u | OFF |
- La Salle vs Houston spread: La Salle +28.5 (-104), Houston -28.5 (-118)
- La Salle vs Houston over/under: 139.5 (-110 / -110)
- La Salle vs Houston moneyline: La Salle +6500
La Salle vs Houston College Basketball Preview
La Salle Basketball
Darris Nichols had a tough first season as La Salle's head coach, posting a 9-23 record. It would be unfair to put all the blame on Nichols, though, as a coach can only do so much when half of his roster has injuries.
The Explorers retained three starters: Point guard Jaden Johnson, forward Rob Dockery and big man Noah Collier.
Johnson is the consummate floor general, as he averaged 4.1 assists to 1.4 turnovers per game last season.
Dockery is a 6-foot-6 physical forward who led the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game.
Lastly, Collier playing last season (he only played in three games) could've helped La Salle eclipse that nine-win mark. He was the starting center, and none of the bench bigs could replace Collier's upside.
La Salle will roll out a starting five with those three, along with Kam Burton at the two and Anthony Finkley at the four. I'd argue that those two will dictate how good the Explorers are this season, for one key reason — shooting.
Dockery, Johnson and Collier are non-threats from deep. Dockery did drill two 3s in their exhibition, but he shot around 21% from 3 a season ago.
Burton has so much shooting gravity. He doesn't even need the ball; his off-ball movement is a threat and that's part of why he shot over 40% from 3 at Stephen F. Austin.
Finkley makes a lot of sense for Nichols. He spent three years at Saint Joe's, and his A-10 experience will be useful. He dipped to 28% from 3 last season after shooting 38% from downtown two seasons ago.
Houston Basketball
These are the type of games where Houston clamps down on lesser opponents. Whether it's November or March doesn't matter to Kelvin Sampson; he demands the same defensive intensity in every single matchup.
Sampson brought in Kent State transfer Delrecco Gillespie to complement veteran big JoJo Tugler, and that duo should terrify teams. Gillespie scored 16 points with six rebounds in Houston's exhibition win over Michigan.
Pairing him as more of an offensive threat next to Tugler — who's one of the top defensive players in the country — is a scary.
I'm not as sold on Houston's offense being very good, though. We'll likely see a steady diet of tossing up shots and hoping to get to the best shot, which is whatever the Coogs create from an offensive rebound.
At the lead guard spot, Sampson brought in Dedan Thomas Jr. from LSU. The 6-foot-1 talent could thrive at Houston after posting 15.3 points, 6.2 assists and just 1.4 turnovers per game.
Outside of Thomas, Houston lacks shot creation, especially since Mercy Miller and Chase McCarty profile more as 3-and-D types.
La Salle vs. Houston Pick, Betting Analysis
Pace-wise, this one should be a slog. La Salle played at the 268th-slowest tempo last season, and Houston is always near the bottom in tempo.
Plus, trying to push pace on Houston usually just leads to taking ugly shots.
I'd be surprised if La Salle scored much more than 50, and Houston may have some offensive growing pains of its own.
I want the under.
Pick: Under 139.5 (Play to 135)
