Notre Dame vs California Prediction 1/2/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

In this article, we will formulate a Notre Dame vs California Prediction for this College Basketball game on Friday, January 2nd. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this College Basketball matchup.

California Golden Bears Preview

California Golden Bears have a 12-2 record this season and are sitting in a tie for 15th place of the ACC. They have a 11-1 home record and are coming off a 70-90 home loss against Louisville. Their previous three games were a 74-56 home win against Columbia, a 97-50 home win against Morgan State and a 79-70 home win against Northwestern State.

Offensively, California averages 82.1 points per game, while allowing 68.4 points per game defensively. The Golden Bears shoot with 47% from the field and grab 35.6 rebounds per game, while dishing out 15.1 assists per game. They average 4.2 blocks per game and 6.5 steals per game defensively.

Dai Dai Ames leads California in scoring, with an average of 17.2 points per game, while shooting with 48.9% from the field and 80.9% from the free throw line. Lee Dort is the team’s leading rebounder with 7.7 per game, while Justin Pippen adds a team-high 4.3 assists per game.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview

Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a 10-4 record this season and are sitting in the 4th place of the ACC. They have a 2-1 away record and are coming off a 47-40 away win against Stanford. Their previous three games were a 69-72 home loss against Purdue Fort Wayne, an 82-58 home win against Evansville and an 80-65 home win against Idaho.

Offensively, Notre Dame averages 74.6 points per game, while allowing 66.4 points per game defensively. The Fighting Irish shoot with 46% from the field and grab 38.4 rebounds per game, while dishing out 12.6 assists per game. They average 2.1 blocks per game and 4.8 steals per game defensively.

Markus Burton leads Notre Dame in scoring, with an average of 18.5 points per game, while shooting with 48.9% from the field and 91.7% from the free throw line. Carson Towt is the team’s leading rebounder with 10.1 per game, while Markus Burton also leads the team with 3.7 assists per game.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ California Golden Bears Betting Trends: January 2, 2026

Why the California Golden Bears will win

• California has won each of its last 12 home games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• California has won the first half in eight of its last nine night games at Haas Pavilion against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will win

• Notre Dame has won each of its last nine night games.
• California has lost six of its last seven night games against Conference opponents.
• California has lost the first half in 10 of its last 11 games against Conference opponents.

Total Points Facts

• Fourteen of California’s last 15 night games have produced a total of 144+ points.
• Five of Notre Dame’s last six games have produced a total of 140+ points.

Notre Dame vs California Prediction

In this Notre Dame vs California Prediction, California is coming as -3.5 home favorites. California has been the better team this season, with a better overall record and this will be their 13th home game in 15 overall games so far. But both teams are coming into this matchup in excellent form, as they are 9-1 and 5-1 in their last 10 and 6 games respectively, so I will take a pass on the side. They both have been playing elite defense this season, allowing just 134.8 points per game combined and as a result, they are 6-2 to the under in their last 8 games combined. Take the under 140.5 points in this one.

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Under 140.5