| MATCHUP | California Golden Bears | Florida State Seminoles |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 21-10 | 17-14 |
| Spread | +3.5 -110 | -3.5 -110 |
| Moneyline | +140 | -166 |
| Total | Over 152.5 (-115) | Under 152.5 (-105) |
| Where | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY | |
| When | Wednesday, March 11, 2026 | |
| Time | 07:00 PM EDT | |
| TV | ESPNU | |
The California Golden Bears and the Florida State Seminoles will meet on Wednesday evening in an ACC Tournament matchup at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
California Golden Bears Betting Preview
The California Golden Bears enter Wednesday’s matchup with a 21–10 overall win‑loss record, including a 9–9 mark in conference play and a 4-6 record on the road. The Golden Bears have compiled recent wins over Stanford, SMU, Georgia Tech and the Boston College Eagles, while losing games to Pittsburgh and Wake Forest in the final stretch of the regular season.
It is noteworthy that these teams have met earlier this season. Who prevailed? Two months ago, the Florida State Seminoles defeated the California Golden Bears 63-61.
The California Golden Bears average 77 points on 44.2 percent shooting from the field and 36.1 percent shooting from three-point range per game. Turning our attention to the defensive side of the basketball, the Golden Bears are allowing opponents 72.6 points per contest.
Junior guard Dai Dai Ames leads the California Golden Bears averaging 16.9 points, 2 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 46.5 percent shooting from the field per game. Sophomore Justin Pippen contributes 14.2 points, 4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.9 steals per contest. Senior forward John Camden provides the Golden Bears with a presence in the paint averaging 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Florida State Seminoles Betting Preview
The Florida State Seminoles enter Wednesday evening’s contest with a 17–14 overall record, including a 10–8 mark in conference play and a 6–5 record on the road. The Seminoles have compiled wins over Alcorn State, Alabama State, Tennessee‑Martin and CSU Bakersfield, while dropping games to Florida, Dayton, Texas A&M the Georgia Bulldogs.
Earlier this season, in the Florida State Seminoles convincing 92-69 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies, Florida State guard Lajae Jones amassed 17 points (7 of 10 shooting from the field), 7 rebounds and 1 assist illustrating his ability to lead the Florida State backcourt.
The Florida State Seminoles average 79.9 points (71st in country) on 43.3 percent shooting from the field and 32.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game. Defensively, the Seminoles are allowing opponents 77.5 points per contest.
Senior guard Robert McCray V leads the Florida State Seminoles backcourt averaging 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Senior guard Lajae Jones adds 12.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1.2 steals and 1 block per contest. Senior forward Alex Steen provides the Seminoles with a strong interior presence averaging 7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game.
Why the Florida State Seminoles Will Win
• Backcourt play. Senior guard Robert McCray V leads the Florida State Seminoles backcourt averaging 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6 assists and 1.2 steals per game
• Interior presence. Senior forward Alex Steen averages 6.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1 block per game.
• Confidence. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the California Golden Bears earlier this season.
Momentum. The Florida State Seminoles arrive at tomorrow’s contest on the heels of a three-game winning streak.
Why the California Golden Bears Will Win
• Guard play. Junior guard Dai Dai Ames leads the California Golden Bears averaging 16.9 points, 2 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 46.5 percent shooting from the field per game.
• Interior presence. Senior forward John Camden averages 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Florida State Seminoles vs. California Golden Bears Prediction
This matchup features Florida State’s high pace offense and quality perimeter shooting against a California team that has struggled defensively at times this season. With that said, Florida State’s matchup edges, more efficient offense, current form (three-game winning streak) and ability to dictate pace point toward separation in the final minutes of this contest. For the reasons just noted, I am backing the Florida State Seminoles to cover the 3.5 points in this game.