Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs. Houston Cougars, Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Use Code SSWC A tough road game for a Horizon League team in this Oakland vs. Houston prediction. The Golden Grizzlies (0-2) continue their difficult stretch of Power 5 teams when they meet No. 1 Houston on Wednesday night. They opened up with a 121-78 loss at Michigan on Nov. 3 and followed that with a 87-77 loss to Purdue on Friday, covering the 31 points. Houston (2-0) hasn't covered either game against mid-major competition as they beat Lehigh 75-57 last Monday as a 35.5-point favorite and Towson 65-48 on Saturday as a 26-point favorite. Check out more free big college basketball predictions and other picks on Stat Salt.
Oakland has played quite the early schedule
Talk about playing a tough opening schedule. Oakland played No. 7 Michigan, then-No. 1 Purdue and now No. 1 Houston. They were crushed by 43 points in their opening game against Michigan, but played much better on Friday night against Purdue, losing by 10. Senior guard Ziare Wells led the Golden Grizzlies with 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Nassim Mashour added 15. The Golden Grizzlies shot 44.1% from the field and 8-of-26 (30.8%) from long range against a tough Boilermaker's defense. They outrebounded Purdue by two and held them to 47.1% shooting from the field.
Oakland finished 16-18 overall last season and 11-9 in the Horizon League. The Golden Grizzlies return just one starter from last year's team, Buru Naivalurua (6-6, 239), who averaged 13.9 points and 7.1 rebounds last season. He had 11 points and seven boards against Purdue. Wells leads the team in scoring with 17.5 points per game and nine rebounds. Wells is a transfer from Lenoir-Rhyne and Monroe. Junior Isaac Garrett (6-8, 219) adds 15 points per game on 66.7% shooting. He's a transfer from an elite juco program in Snow College.
Oakland is shooting 43.2% from the field and 36.5% from three-point range. Last season, KenPom had them 173rd overall and 276th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency.
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Cougars jump to No. 1 in the polls
Houston is now ranked first in the AP College Basketball poll, jumping up over No. 1 Purdue, which is also 2-0. It's probably something that head coach Kelvin Sampson isn't concerned about because polls are not that relevant in college basketball. The Cougars are coming off a 17-point win over Towson on Saturday, where the lead was five with around eight minutes left, and then Houston pulled away. Fresgnab Gyard Kingston Flemings led the way with 20 points for the Cougars. Joseph Tugled added 15 points for the Cougars, who shot just 42% from the field and 8-of-32 (25%) from beyond the arc.
Shooting has usually been an issue for the Cougars, who are led by guard Emmanuel Sharp, who averages 16.5 points and five rebounds per game on 47.6% shooting. Tugler, a 6-8, 230-pound junior, adds 13 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. In the first two games, the National Champion runner-up is making just 28.3% of their three-point shots. Last season, KenPom had Houston at first in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency and 12th on Adjusted Offense. They rank first again in Adjusted Defense this season, but 24th in Adjusted Offense.
Key Injury Report and Analysis for Oakland vs. Houston:
Oakland:
- F Michael Houge (ankle) is ? He missed the first two games. He averaged 8.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game at Jacksonville State last season.
Houston:
- C Jacob McFarland (leg) is out. He's a highly regarded big man who has had two surgeries for a broken leg suffered in practice last October.
Oakland vs. Houston Spread Pick
Final Score, Pick and Prediction for Oakland vs. Houston
- Oakland +26.5 (4 units)
Houston is a bit overvalued right now because they are the number one team in the country. They have an excellent defensive team, but they struggled to beat two mid-majors. Oakland has some talent, and they'll push the ball because of guys like Naivalurua (6-8, 240), who is a strong rebounder. The Cougars take this one again by around 16-18 points, thanks to their defense, but the Golden Grizzlies will force them to beat them from the perimeter. Wells is also the type of player who can be difficult to defend because there's little film on him, thanks to his days at non-D1 schools.
- Houston 72-Oakland 56
Total Pick for Oakland vs. Houston
- Under 141 (4 units)
Oakland will need to slow this pace down, and they are at 221 in Adjusted Tempo according to KenPom. Houston is at 359 in Adjusted Tempo and last season. They were at the same number last season so it's all about defense and a methodical tempo for the Cougars. Houston has gone under in three straight, five of six and are 8-1-1 Under their last 10 games.
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