Notre Dame vs California Picks and Predictions for Friday, January 2, 2026

By: Cameron Ross Published 01/02/2026, 01:30 AM ET

Notre Dame vs California Information

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will be on the road Friday night for an 11:00 PM matchup in Berkeley, CA, against the California Golden Bears. Notre Dame is playing well this year with 10 wins and 4 losses, having won 4 of the last 5, following a 7-point road win over Stanford in their previous outing. The California Golden Bears stay home Friday, 11-2 on the year, after a 20-point loss to Louisville last time out to end a long winning streak. Stay in the news with our College Basketball Picks.

Notre Dame Preview

Jalen Haralson leads the Notre Dame offense this season, averaging 14.5 points and 2.5 assists per game. Markus Burton has averaged 18.5 points this season for the Irish, but has played just 10 games this year. Braeden Shrewsberry averages 11.3 points, and Cole Certa averages 8.5 points per game. Carson Towt averages 6.7 points and leads the team, averaging 10.1 rebounds per game.

California Preview

Dai Dai Ames leads the California offense this season, averaging 17.2 points per game this year. Justin Pippen is second on the team, averaging 14. Points and leads the team, averaging 4.3 assists per game. Chris Bell also averages 14.8 points per game, while John Camden averages 14.6 points per game. Lee Dort is averaging 9.1 points and leads the team, pulling in 77 rebounds per game.

Notre Dame vs California Prediction

Both teams are having good years as each comes into Friday with double-digit wins. However, California will have the edge at home, with its more potent offense. Take the Golden Bears Friday night to do the work to get the win and cover to secure their first ACC win of the season. Final Score Prediction, California Golden Bears win and cover 78-71. Betting on sports and on Notre Dame is easy, but even easier if you use the best sportsbooks. Make sure you know about how the fans are looking on prediction markets for California with the social sportsbooks. Getting the most out of your bets on Notre Dame vs California can be done by using the Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.

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