California vs Virginia Tech Prediction 1/10/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The California Golden Bears and the Virginia Tech Hokies meet Saturday in college basketball action from Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg. Here’s a California vs Virginia Tech prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best California vs Virginia Tech pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

California Golden Bears Betting Preview

The Bears managed to win each of their first three games, then took a loss to Kansas State. From there Cal took out Presbyterian, Sac State, UCLA, Utah, Pacific, Dominican CA, Northwestern State, Morgan State and Columbia before a loss to Louisville. After another win over Notre Dame, California was sitting at 13-2 overall in their first 15 games of the season.

On Wednesday versus Virginia, California started out slowly and ended up with a 43-33 deficit by the break. The Bears were outscored 41-27 the rest of the way and took a blowout loss 84-60 in the end. Leading the team in the losing effort was Dai Dai Ames with 18 points and two rebounds. Justin Pippen added 17 points and John Camden had 15 points and six boards in the defeat.

Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Preview

Over on the Virginia Tech side, they were able to open the season with a six-game win streak before falling in consecutive outings to Saint Mary’s and VCU. The Hokies would then beat South Carolina, George Mason, Western Carolina, MD Eastern Shore, Elon and Virginia before another loss to Wake Forest. Over their first 15 games the Hokies had a 12-3 record in the books.

Matched up against Stanford on Wednesday the Hokies went into the locker room sporting a 31-24 edge. Virginia Tech was outscored 45-37 the rest of the way however, leading to a tough home loss 69-68. Neoklis Avdalas had 21 points with three assists and two boards in the defeat and Ben Hammond chipped in with 14 points, two rebounds and one assist in 25 minutes on the floor.

California Golden Bears @ Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Trends: January 10, 2026

Why the Virginia Tech Hokies will win

• Virginia Tech has won nine of its last 10 games at Cassell Coliseum.
• California has lost 10 of its last 13 games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• Virginia Tech has won the first half in seven of its last eight home games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the California Golden Bears will win

• California has won 12 of its last 13 games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Virginia Tech has lost five of its last six games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.

California vs Virginia Tech Prediction

I’ll lean toward California but I could go either way on this one as both teams are coming off difficult losses. The Bears’ was a blowout to a great Virginia team, as they shot a dismal 35.2 percent from the field and 3-of-19 (15.8 percent) from outside along with a 38-24 rebounding deficit and a 34-22 disadvantage on points in the paint. There wasn’t much to write home about in that one, but Cal at least did well from the line (19-of-22 for 86.4 percent). The Bears have lost two of their last three games, but both of those have come versus ranked teams in Louisville and Virginia.

As for Virginia Tech, they took a tough one-point loss versus Stanford at Cassell Coliseum this week. The Hokies shot 39.6 percent from the field with just seven team assists in that one and got outmuscled in the paint 30-20 along the way. Virginia Tech has lost consecutive games to Wake Forest and the Cardinal now, so they need a good showing at home here before a trip to SMU next week.

Andrew Jett's Pick: California Golden Bears +5.5