Wisconsin vs UCLA prediction, pick, College Basketball odds
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It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Wisconsin-UCLA prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Wisconsin-UCLA.
There is a lot of interesting college basketball on the Tuesday schedule, and now that the College Football Playoff is over, hoops gets the stage fully to itself. This game between Wisconsin and UCLA is one of the more interesting clashes on the board. It’s a challenging game to bet, or at least, it offers the appearance of one.
UCLA lost four straight games earlier this month. Coach Mick Cronin very publicly lit into his team, criticizing his players and, for that matter, his assistant coaches for not working hard enough. The attempt to motivate his team didn’t really work in an immediate sense. UCLA lost games to both Maryland and Rutgers after the public tongue-lashing. However, UCLA did snap back into focus this past Friday night in a blowout of Iowa which was lopsided for virtually the entire 40 minutes. UCLA looked like a good team again and played with the authoritative identity we saw earlier in the season.
This is the really confusing thing about UCLA: The Bruins have three really, really good wins on their ledger sheet, having beaten Oregon, Gonzaga, and Arizona away from home. One was a true road win. The others were neutral-court wins. We have seen this team beat quality opposition. However, all the good UCLA did this season was canceled out by that ugly four-game skid in which the offense was largely terrible and the defense, while mostly good, allowed too many free throws and enabled opponents to collect cheap points. After the Iowa win, it is hugely important for UCLA to buckle down defensively without having paralyzing scoring droughts at the offensive end of the floor.
Wisconsin figures to challenge UCLA in this Big Ten game. The Badgers have won seven in a row. They are searing hot right now. This Wisconsin team doesn’t fit the longstanding stereotype of a Badger basketball squad. People are conditioned to think Wisconsin teams can defend but not score. This UW team scores. The Badgers put over 80 points on USC this past Saturday in a comfortable win. Wisconsin scored 116 against Iowa and over 100 against Arizona. Moreover, Wisconsin can get points from a lot of different sources. John Tonje and John Blackwell are the two top scorers, but five Badgers average at least 10 points per game. That is part of what makes it hard to guard Wisconsin this season. UCLA will need to be at its very best to come out of here with a win. Wisconsin is in a very good place right now.
Here are the Wisconsin-UCLA College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Wisconsin-UCLA Odds
Wisconsin: +3.5 (-120)
Moneyline: +128
UCLA: -3.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -154
Over: 139.5 (-110)
Under: 139.5 (-110)
How to Watch Wisconsin vs UCLA
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT
TV: Peacock
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Wisconsin Will Cover The Spread/Win
Very simply, why is UCLA favored at all? Isn’t Wisconsin on a seven-game winning streak and playing brilliant ball, all while UCLA has lost four out of five? Are we really going to lean to UCLA just because the Bruins finally snapped a losing skid? Wisconsin is the better team here, and the Badgers are getting points? Come on.
Why UCLA Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Bruins got back to their winning ways. They broke the spell against Iowa. Now you will see this team return to being confident, connected and controlled the way Mick Cronin wants it in Westwood.
Final Wisconsin-UCLA Prediction & Pick
Wisconsin plus the points is the obvious choice, but maybe UCLA starts the game with an 8-2 run and the live line moves to Wisconsin +6.5. Maybe wait for a live play, but taking Wisconsin +3.5 will never be criticized.
Final Wisconsin-UCLA Prediction & Pick: Wisconsin +3.5
The post Wisconsin vs UCLA prediction, pick, College Basketball odds appeared first on ClutchPoints.
