Cal vs Vanderbilt prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball

It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Cal-Vanderbilt prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Cal-Vanderbilt.

The fun aspect of November college basketball is how many delicious nonconference games are played, giving us a taste of the NCAA Tournament in March. While this game might not be a preview of the NCAA Tournament — both teams will have a challenge making the field of 68 — it is still a fascinating matchup because of the coaching chess match we might be about to witness.

Mark Madsen enters his second season at Cal after coming to Berkeley from Utah Valley, where he did an outstanding job in a mid-major conference. Madsen is a Stanford alumnus. He led Stanford to the 1998 Final Four, the last time Stanford went that far in the NCAA Tournament. One and a half years ago, Stanford had a chance to fire coach Jerod Haase and hire Madsen, but the Cardinal refused. Cal happily stepped in and hired Madsen, banking on his quality and his identity as a rising, young star in the world of college basketball coaching. In Year 2 of his tenure, Madsen has a real chance to build on his first season and begin to establish Cal as a real NCAA Tournament contender. It will be hard for Madsen to reach the Big Dance this season, but if he can merely come somehwat close, there will be a clear sense that the Cal program is heading in the right direction. With a 2-0 record through two games, Cal has gotten off to a solid start and reinforced the belief that Madsen is the right guy to lead the program.

Vanderbilt is starting over. Jerry Stackhouse is finally out after several failed seasons. The new man in Nashville is Mark Byington, who came to Vanderbilt from James Madison, which he led to the 2024 NCAA Tournament and a win over Wisconsin in the first round. Byington turned JMU into a well-oiled machine at both ends of the floor. James Madison played such disciplined basketball, which is really what Vanderbilt lacked under Stackhouse. VU was erratic and prone to early-season face-plants against mid-majors in games which reflected a lack of preparation. Byington seems to be the cure for Vanderbilt's ailments. If he lives up to his reputation and his results from the James Madison years, VU will get itself the right coach.

We have seen what can happen at Vanderbilt when the right coach is in place. Vanderbilt made Sweet 16 appearances in the 1980s and early 1990s. VU made the Sweet 16 in 2007 and very nearly reached the Elite Eight. The Commodores won the SEC Tournament championship in 2012. Vanderbilt has been a No. 3 and No. 4 seed in past NCAA Tournaments. This program has potential. Byington was hired to unlock it after many unfulfilled seasons under Stackhouse and his predecessor, Bryce Drew.

Here are the Cal-Vanderbilt College Basketball Odds , courtesy of FanDuel

College Basketball Odds: Cal-Vanderbilt Odds

Cal: +8.5 (-118)

Moneyline: +285

Vanderbilt: -8.5 (-104)

Moneyline: -365

Over: 159.5 (-115)

Under: 159.5 (-105)

How to Watch Cal vs Vanderbilt

Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

TV: ESPN Plus

Stream: fuboTV ( Free Trial )

Why Cal Will Cover The Spread/Win

Cal is probably going to be a decent team this season — not great, but not terrible, either. Cal getting almost nine points feels like a lot. The Bears just have to keep this one close, and we're not sure Vanderbilt is good enough to win this game by a huge margin.

Why Vanderbilt Will Cover The Spread/Win

We are buying in to Byington. Mark Byington is the real deal. He will get Vanderbilt to roar early in the season, and Cal has not yet played a road game. Vanderbilt could ambush the Bears and get off to an explosive start, setting the table for a comfortable cover of the spread.

Final Cal-Vanderbilt Prediction & Pick

We usually pick sides in these games, but here, we like a total play. Both teams have scored a lot in their first two games against small-conference opponents, but now that they are playing each other, it might be noticeably harder to score. Take the under.