Can the Badgers extend their win streak to eight games on Tuesday evening?
The 18th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers, winners of seven straight, including five straight Big Ten games, travel to Pauley Pavilion to take on the UCLA Bruins. Tip-off is scheduled for Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. on Peacock, with UCLA a 3.5-point favorite.
Wisconsin had a splendid offensive game last Saturday at USC, where the Badgers shot 56.4% from the field in an 84-69 win at the Galen Center. It was a second straight game where Wisconsin had to fend off an opposing scoring run in the second half for the second straight game, but the Badgers never surrendered the lead. John Blackwell continued his stellar sophomore season with a 28-point outing and five rebounds in the win.
What should Badger fans know about UCLA?
Opponent Preview
Things were looking good for Mick Cronin and the UCLA Bruins at the end of 2024 when they defeated 14th-ranked Gonzaga to rise to no. 15 in the nation. That all changed once the calendar flipped to January 2025, when the Bruins lost four consecutive Big Ten games. Cronin was furious after their 19-point loss to Michigan on January 7th, when he called his team “soft” and demanded more energy from his players and assistant coaches.
In their last game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Bruins started hitting their first nine shots from the floor and pulled away easily, winning 94-70. It was a great shooting display, but we must also factor in Iowa’s abysmal defense. It’s hard to see UCLA doing that again this season, especially against an improving Wisconsin defense.
Oregon State transfer forward Tyler Bilodeau leads the Bruins with 14.6 points per game, with Oklahoma State transfer guard Eric Dailey Jr. behind him with 12.2 points. Kobe Johnson, a USC transfer who prepped at Nicolet High School in Glendale, Wisconsin, leads UCLA with 3.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Johnson is one of the best in the Big Ten in stealing the ball, where his 1.9 steals per game ranks fifth in the conference.
Former Illinois and Louisville guard Skyy Clark has started all 18 games for the Bruins, but he is averaging career lows with 6.7 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. Dylan Andrews, the only non-transfer among the four UCLA, is coming off a 13-point outing against Iowa, where he went 3-of-5 from the three-point line. Andrews comes into this game averaging 7.1 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.
Score Prediction
Wisconsin has been pushing all the right buttons this month and is riding momentum into what should be a great game against UCLA. The Bruins’ defense is ranked first in the Big Ten, allowing 63.7 points per outing, but their offense is in the lower third of the conference at 75.7 points per game. If Wisconsin can get off to a great start, like their last game against USC, they can put away the Bruins early.
Eventually, the Badgers’ winning streak will end, but until then, I’m picking Wisconsin to keep the good times going.
Prediction: Wisconsin 85-79.