The Oakland Golden Grizzlies take on the Youngstown State Penguins in Youngstown, Ohio. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Youngstown State is favored by -1.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -125. The total is set at 157.5 points.
Here’s my Oakland vs. Youngstown State prediction and college basketball picks for January 1, 2026.
Oakland vs Youngstown State Prediction
My Pick: Youngstown State -1.5 (Play to -2.5)
My Oakland vs Youngstown State best bet is on the Penguins to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Oakland vs. Youngstown State Odds
| Oakland Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 157.5 -110 / -110 | +105 |
| Youngstown State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 157.5 -110 / -110 | -125 |
- Oakland vs Youngstown State spread: Youngstown State -1.5
- Oakland vs Youngstown State over/under: 157.5 points
- Oakland vs Youngstown State moneyline: Oakland +105, Youngstown State -125
Oakland vs Youngstown State College Basketball Betting Preview
Oakland Basketball
Oakland is coming off an ugly road loss to Wright State, which dropped it to 2-1 in Horizon League play.
Greg Kampe decided to stun everyone with his style this season. He went from one of the slowest tempo coaches in 2024-25 to 30th in adjusted tempo in 2025-26. That's the fastest tempo for Kampe since 2016.
The Golden Grizzlies have thrived playing at a faster pace, ranking 75th in offensive efficiency.
Kampe excels best with a reliable point guard, and he found a great one in the portal. A well-traveled sharpshooter — Brody Robinson — stepped in as "the guy" for Oakland, and he's averaging 16 points and five assists per game while scorching rims at a 40% clip.
However, Oakland has some offensive concerns that could get exposed eventually. Shooting is an issue outside of Robinson.
Part of the deal is that Kampe starts three true forwards — Michael Houge, Isaac Garrett and Tuburu Naivalurua — and none of those players are shooters. Plus, bench sniper Nassim Mashhour missed the last few games, and he's an important cog.
Shockingly, Oakland is shooting just 54% from inside the arc. If this game turns into a half-court slog, Youngstown State will dare Oakland's shaky shooters to take outside jumpers.
Of all the uncertainty in college hoops, one thing is always a shoo-in: Kampe will primarily play zone, which is Oakland's defense on 78% of possessions this season.
However, opposing offenses are dissecting that zone like it's nothing, as Oakland ranks 291st in defensive efficiency. The Golden Grizzlies allow ample good looks at the hoop, ranking 336th in effective field goal percentage. They only force turnovers 14% of the time and struggle on the glass.
It's hard to draw any positives from Oakland's defense.
Youngstown State Basketball
The biggest stunner of Horizon League play to date is Youngstown State losing to Detroit Mercy in ugly fashion. The Titans led by 51-29 at one point, so the game was never close.
What went wrong? I'd say everything, but I'll be more specific. Detroit grabbed 12 offensive boards, got to the foul line more than Youngstown State, and the dribble penetration from Orlando Lovejoy and Keshawn Fisher had the Penguins' defense in a pretzel.
I'm willing to call that an aberration. We have 13 other games that tell us the Penguins' defense is their strength, as they rank 123rd in defensive efficiency. They also rank in the top 100 in defensive turnover percentage and effective field goal percentage.
Rebounding is a real problem for the Penguins, as they rank 285th in defensive rebounding rate. In the loss to Robert Morris, they surrendered 20 offensive boards. Then they allowed 12 against Detroit.
If you're backing Youngstown State, you can rest easy knowing Oakland doesn't hunt offensive boards, as it's grabbing just 28% of its misses.
I also think Youngstown State could thrive offensively in this matchup. The biggest threat to a zone is a good shooting team. That applies to the Penguins, who attempt 3s on 50% of their shots and connect on 34% of them.
When Youngstown State actually gets a shot off, it tends to have offensive success. However, it turns the ball over 22% of the time. Oakland isn't the type of team to expose the turnover issues, though, as it forces them only 14% of the time.
Cris Carroll could be a real weapon in this matchup. The 6-foot-7 forward leads Youngstown State with 17.1 points per game and shoots 46% from deep. Against the zone, Carroll can be a threat in the middle of the zone or with his perimeter shooting.
I'd also keep an eye on 7-footer Imanuel Zorgvol. He's a bit unorthodox when he has the ball, but his length could overpower Oakland on the boards.
Oakland vs. Youngstown State Betting Analysis
I'm rolling with Youngstown State as a short favorite.
Most of the things Oakland is good at, Youngstown State can combat.
It'll likely come down to whether the Penguins shoot it well or not, and I'll make the bet that Carroll, Rich Rolf and Bryson Dawkins get hot from downtown.
My Pick:Â Youngstown State -1.5 (Play to -2.5)
