The Badgers are looking to even the season series against UCLA at the Big Ten Tournament.
Fresh off a 70-63 win over the No. 12-seeded Northwestern Wildcats, the No. 5-seeded Wisconsin Badgers are facing off against the No. 4 UCLA Bruins on Friday in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, with tip-off set for approximately 1:30 p.m.
Wisconsin played a close game against Northwestern on Thursday, struggling early before finding their rhythm on both sides of the court, especially to kick off the second half.
Leading by as many as 18 points, the Badgers ultimately won by seven as Northwestern cut the lead when the game was out of hand late in the second half.
The return of Max Klesmit proved to be helpful on a down night offensively, as the guard incited some of Wisconsin’s aggressiveness, finishing the game with nine points, two rebounds, and two assists on 3/5 from the field.
Moving on, Wisconsin will take on the No. 4-seeded UCLA Bruins on Friday, looking to get revenge on their regular season loss.
The Bruins were the biggest beneficiaries of the final weekend of the regular season, as losses by both Purdue and Wisconsin led them to jump up to the No. 4 seed, earning a double-bye in the process with a 13-7 conference record.
Back in the first meeting between the two teams, UCLA and Wisconsin played to an 85-83 game where the Bruins ultimately edged out at the Pauley Pavillion.
Wisconsin struggled defensively in that one, allowing UCLA to shoot 50.7 percent from the field and get to the free throw line 28 times, spoiling a night where the Badgers shot at least 50 percent from both the field and from three.
The Badgers have improved significantly defensively since then, according to KenPom, having a top-35 defense at the moment in the country. But, they’ll face another strong defense on Friday and will need a better start on Friday.
What are all of the odds ahead of the game?
Opening Odds
Spread: Wisconsin -1.5
Over/under points: 140.5 points
Channel: Big Ten Network
Time: 1:30 p.m. Central