Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs. Houston Cougars Picks and Prediction for Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Use Code WWWC It’s an early season clash on the hardwood and it brings a non-conference tilt between foes from the Horizon League and the Big 12 on the hardwood in the Lone Star State as the Oakland Golden Grizzlies take on the #1 Houston Cougars Wednesday night and we have you covered with our Oakland vs. Houston prediction. Oakland fell 87-77 on the road to #1 Purdue in their previous contest Friday night, covering the line as a 31-point underdog. Houston downed Towson 65-48 at home in their previous contest Saturday, failing to cover the line as a 26-point favorite. In the lone previous meeting between the teams, the Golden Grizzlies earned a 76-74 road win back on November 22, 2011. Read more about this Oakland vs. Houston prediction! Struggling with handicapping? Try our NCAAB Predictions!
Oakland Gets Second Crack at #1 Team in the Land
Oakland gave #1 Purdue all it wanted before falling short, though they easily covered the line in the contest. The Golden Grizzlies fell to 0-2 on the season and now face a third straight top 10 foe on the road to open the year. Against Purdue, Oakland trailed by as many as five and led by as many as six in the first half before settling for a 35-35 tie at intermission. The Golden Grizzlies were still within one with 12:17 remaining before giving up the next six points to trail 62-55. Oakland never got closer than three the rest of the way as they took the loss. The Golden Grizzlies shot 44.1% from the field, including eight of 26 from three-point range, and held a 39-37 advantage on the glass in the loss. Ziare Wells led Oakland with 21 points and 12 rebounds in the defeat.
The Golden Grizzlies come into this game averaging 77.5 points per game, which puts them 228th in the nation in scoring offense. Oakland is pulling down 30.5 rebounds a night while dishing out an average of 12.5 assists per game this season. The Golden Grizzlies are playing below-average basketball on the defensive end of the floor as they allow an average of 104 points per game, putting them 361st in the nation in scoring defense. Ziare Wells leads the team with an average of 17.5 points plus nine rebounds a night. Isaac Garrett (15 points, three rebounds) and Tuburu Naivalauria (14.5 points, six rebounds) have been good contributors offensively so far. Nassim Mashhour (11.5 points), Brody Robinson (11 points, 4.5 assists), Brett White, Khoi Thurmon and Nate Deer have to contribute for Greg Kampe’s team to have success. The Golden Grizzlies are shooting 43.2% from the field on the year. Oakland is knocking down 9.5 three-pointers a night but they are shooting 36.5% from beyond the arc. The Golden Grizzlies are above average at the line as they convert 81.5% of their attempts this season, putting them 21st in the nation.
Cougars Seeking to Maintain #1 Ranking
Houston took care of business against Towson, though they once again failed to cover the line in the contest. The Cougars improved to 2-0 on the year and look to remain unbeaten while maintaining their hold on the #1 ranking in the nation. Against Towson, Houston trailed 5-2 early before reeling off 17 unanswered points to take a 19-5 advantage with 10:42 to play in the first half. The Cougars led by seven at the half and used an 11-0 run in the second half to pull away en route to the victory. Houston shot 41.9% from the field, including eight of 32 from three-point range, and forced 18 turnovers in the game. Kingston Flemings led the Cougars with 20 points in the victory.
Get Free $30 Credit for Premium Picks + Exclusive Discounts
Subscribe Now
On the year, the Cougars are 297th in the nation in scoring offense with an average of 70 points per game. Houston collects an average of 39 rebounds (174th) per contest while they dish out an average of 14 assists a night. The Cougars are 8th in the nation in scoring defense as they allow an average of 52.5 points per game. Emanuel Sharp leads the team with 16.5 points plus five rebounds a night this season. Kingston Flemings (14 points), Joseph Tugler (13 points, five boards) and Miles Uzan (11.5 points, four rebounds, 5.5 assists) are solid scoring options. Chris Cenac Jr., Chase McCarty, Isiah Harwell, Mercy Miller, Kalifa Sakho, Ramon Walker Jr., Kordel Jefferson and Cedric Lath are all key players for coach Kelvin Sampson. Houston shoots 42.3% from the floor as a team this season. The Cougars connect on 7.5 three-pointers per contest while they are shooting 28.3% from beyond the arc as a team, which is 290th in Division I. Houston has been above average at the charity stripe, cashing in 77.8% of their attempts on the year, which is 56th in the nation.
Oakland vs. Houston Pick
Oakland vs. Houston Spread Pick
- Oakland +29.5 (4 units)
Oakland was run out of the building by Michigan in their season opener before hanging with Purdue and covering in that contest. The Golden Grizzlies have been leaky defensively but they should get a bit of a break here facing a Houston team that has struggled to shoot the ball in the first two games of the year. We know that the Cougars are stingy defensively so that tamps down the production of Oakland in this game. Still, after seeing Houston prevail by 18 and 17 points, respectively, in wins over Lehigh and Towson, giving nearly 30 points is too big an ask for a Cougars team that isn’t a big offensive unit. The Cougars win straight up but the Golden Grizzlies cover the line here.
Oakland vs. Houston Over/Under Pick
- Under 139.5 (4 units)
Oakland went over the total in their first two games this season, mainly due to their inability to defend. When you are ranked 359th in field goal percentage defense (55.8%), 354th in two-point defense (66.2%) and 363rd in three-point defense (45.7%), that’s problematic. Fortunately, they face a Houston team that isn’t offensively gifted, which should help those metrics somewhat. Houston has seen the under post an 8-1-1 mark in their last 10 games dating back to last season. The Cougars are first in defensive efficiency, 35th in effective field goal percentage defense (41.5%) and 27th in forced turnover percentage (24.8%) on the young season. Houston is 357th in adjusted tempo with 67.9 possessions per game according to KenPom. Look for Houston’s defense to clamp down but they still have issues offensively. Take the under in this contest.
Betting on College Basketball?
- Join Winners and Whiners premium for free and get a free $30 coupon with code FREE30
- Get started and wager on college hoops today with our favorite online sportsbooks
- Claim a CBB betting bonus offer with the best sportsbook promos
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
New Users – Bet $5 Get $200 in Bet Reset Tokens for 5 Days
