If you want more Action Network content, be sure to add us as a preferred source on Google.
The California Golden Bears take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack in Raleigh, N.C. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. EDT on ACC Network.
NC State is favored by -7 points on the spread with a moneyline of -275. The total is set at 56.5 points.
Here’s my Cal vs. NC State prediction and college football pick for Saturday, October 31, 2026.
Cal vs NC State Prediction
- Cal vs. NC State Pick: First Half Under 28.5 or Better
My NC State vs. Cal best bet is on the under for the first-half total. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Cal vs NC State Odds
| California Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -108 | 56.5 -112o / -108u | +220 |
| NC State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -115 | 56.5 -112o / -108u | -275 |
- Cal vs NC State point spread: NC State -7 (-115 ), Cal +7 (-108)
- Cal vs NC State over/under: 56.5 (-112o / -108u)
- Cal vs NC State moneyline: Cal +220, NC State -275
Cal vs NC State College Football Preview
Cal Golden Bears Betting Preview: Little To Lose
Cal has been through an odd string of weeks. In Year 1, Tosh Lupoi's job security is already in question as (for a moment) it looked like star QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele might have been flirting with other teams while out with a concussion. Lupoi made a change at OC, firing Jordan Sommerville and replacing him with Pat McCann. JKS sat out a week, then was benched in favor of Jackson Brousseau (entering the game in the late third quarter down 41-0
So was it McCann's call to bench JKS? Was it a punishment? All around odd, to say the least.
JKS continues to be the best player on this roster by a wide margin, and both transfer receivers, Ian Strong and Chase Hendricks, are stepping into true alpha roles. They gave Cal's offense an early spark on the road last week against SMU before the offense was shut out in the second half and the defense surrendered 42 second-half points.
Outside the worst offenses the Golden Bears have taken on (Virginia Tech, Clemson, Syracuse), the defense has been atrocious. In the last two weeks, it's given up 100 points, 76 in two individual halves (first half vs. Wake, second vs. SMU). That defense isn't interested in defending the run, allowing 476 yards to Wake and SMU.
This team is all-around poor, outside its superstar QB. The coaching is bad, the defense is bad, the team is undisciplined, and, aside from a pair of good receivers and JKS, the offensive approach is bad. With little to lose and Lupoi feeling some pressure to turn things around, expect a healthy dose of JKS.
But as McCann and Lupoi showed, that decision could change at the flip of a switch, and this team should not be trusted.
North Carolina State Wolfpack Betting Preview: Doeren a Contentious Firing?
After 14 seasons, NC State will find a new head coach. A huge 31-28 upset at Stanford was the final straw, and Dave Doeren didn't make it to the next day. The aftermath of that firing has been contentious, as players have spoken out against the move.
For a head coach so ingrained in the program, a midseason dismissal was surprising, even if the season warranted change. How those players respond on the field is worth monitoring — Doeren addressed the team, asking them to play for him the rest of the season.
The number of players wearing thin, though.
Running back Duke Scott has already been ruled out for this game, his fourth week off, while whispers of QB CJ Bailey missing the game have popped up. The team Twitter account posted a Week 9 poster featuring backup/situational QB Will Wilson, an odd move for a team with such a concrete answer at QB.
Seven other starters missed Week 8, including guard Yousef Mugharbil, nickel Asaad Brown Jr., and tight end Vander Ploog, all of whom are done for the season; receiver Jojo Trader and guard Kamen Smith missed the game.
NC State enters Week 9 a scorned team without a head coach and with a roster decimated by injury. At 3-4 (1-3 in ACC play), there's no conference race to play for and the best-case scenario is that the Wolfpack get selected for a mid-level bowl. There likely won't be much buy-in for that, and this season seems like treading water.
Despite Doeren's pleas, NC State is a team that's officially on quit watch. There are rivals with stuff left to play for and coaching continuity ahead, meaning we could see some seriously lopsided games in terms of team motivation.
Cal vs NC State Pick, Betting Analysis
Well, we're back with another weird kickoff. Cal travels across the country to play at 9:00 a.m. internal for the second straight game against an NC State team that just fired its coach. Last season, Cal finished 1-4 down the stretch as the burden of travel wore the team down. Uncertainty surrounds JKS even though he's been put back in the starting role, and this is the spot where the wheels could really fall off for Cal.
NC State is ripped with injuries to the offense and limps home after that crushing Stanford loss. As mentioned, there's not much on the table left to play for. Bailey may not go, though no major moves under suggest the market might not totally be in line with that.
It's expected to be a chilly morning in Raleigh, and fan support might plummet post-Doeren with a seemingly lost season inbound. Another sleepy morning environment.
Cal and SMU got off to a slow start under similar conditions. While Cal eventually broke down in a major way — NC State is also prone to those breakdowns — I believe we have a slow first-half inbound. There's not much threat of the run from either side, and both quarterbacks are going to carry a majority of the load (NC State might be without its).
So long as we can get the first-half number above four scores, this is a good under play.
Pick: First Half Under 28.5 or Better
