Analysis of Wisconsin vs UCLA: Predictions, Picks, and Player Props for Big Ten Quarterfinal Game

• The #4 UCLA Bruins are slight underdogs to the #5 Wisconsin Badgers on Friday in the Big Ten Tournament
• UCLA won a razor-thin decision over the Badgers at home in their lone regular-season game
• Below, see my favorite Wisconsin vs UCLA picks and predictions, plus the best available odds

Both are safely in the NCAA Tournament field as at-large teams but the Wisconsin Badgers (24-8, 13-7 Big Ten, 20-12 ATS) and UCLA Bruins (22-9, 13-7 Big Ten, 18-12-1 ATS) can boost their resume on Friday when they meet in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament. As the #4 seed, UCLA received a double-bye to the quarters while #5 Wisconsin saw off #13 Northwestern (70-63) last night. The Badgers are Bruins are slated to tip-off from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis at 2:30 pm ET on Friday with the Big Ten Network providing coverage.

Wisconsin vs UCLA Picks

• Wisconsin moneyline (-122) at FanDuel
• Tonje over 17.5 points (-115) at bet365

Sascha Paruk’s 2024-25 NCAAM betting record: 48-35 (+9.58 units). All wagers 1 unit unless expressly stated otherwise.

While the Badgers had to play last night while UCLA rested, I still like Wisconsin to come out on top. The Badgers rate at least four spots higher at all analytics sites (KenPom, Haslametrics, Torvik) and, after Thursday’s win over Northwestern, are now 3-0 in neutral-court games this season. They also beat UCF (86-70) and Pitts (81-75) at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia back in November.

Last night, John Tonje led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds for the Badgers while Nolan Winter added 18 and six.

UCLA is 0-1 in neutral-site games this season, losing to North Carolina in New York in late December. Mick Cronin’s team was also a concerning 1-4 in neutral-site games last season.

The Bruins managed to pick up a two-point win over the Badgers when the teams met in January in LA, but the Badgers were uncharacteristically careless with the ball in that one. They finished -7 in turnover differential, committing 13 turnovers. For the season, the rank 19th in all of DI in turnover percentage at 14.3%. UCLA’s defense has been great at turning teams over all season (23.0%, fifth in DI) but I expect the Badgers to show a lot more composure without the raucous Pauley Pavilion crowd to contend with.

UCLA also shot seven more free throws, which is unlikely to repeat on a neutral court.

On offense, the Badgers found a ton of success against UCLA, shooting 51.0% from the floor nad 50% from three. John Tonje had 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting.

WISC vs UCLA Player Props

Friday’s Wisconsin vs UCLA player props are from bet365 at 9:35 am ET. New users can claim SBD’s bet365 bonus code upon sign-up.

The Wisconsin vs UCLA player props are stacked with options; six players from each team are listed, in something of a rarity for college basketball. The two highest point totals are both on the Wisconsin side: John Tonje (18.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.7 APG) at 17.5 O/U and John Blackwell (15.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.2 APG) at 15.5 O/U. Tyler Bilodeau (14.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.5 APG) has the highest point total among UCLA players at just 13.5.

Bruins “guard” Kobe Johnson, more accurately described as a 6’6 wing, has the highest rebound total at 6.5. No one on the board has an assist total higher than 2.5.

Best Available Wisconsin vs UCLA Odds

The Wisconsin vs UCLA spread is an identical WIS -1.5 at all sportsbooks, and as of 9:47 am ET, all books had -110 odds both ways, leaving no discrepancies for bettors to take advantage of.

The same is not the case for the moneyline. FanDuel currently has the best price on a Wisconsin victory at -122 while Caesars has the longest odds on a UCLA win at +115.

There is a half-point range in the game total. Over bettors can get the number as low as 141.0 (-110) at bet365. Under bettors can get the total as high as 141.5 (-110) at DraftKings.

The Public’s Wisconsin vs UCLA Picks

Friday’s college basketball public betting trends show the public hammering the Badgers to win, with 86% of moneyline handle on Wisconsin. But, curiously, 63% of ATS handle is on the Bruins at the moment, despite the spread being a minimal 1.5 points.

The public was also strongly leaning to the over with respect to the game total. 88% of O/U money was on over 141.5 at the time of publication.

The Big Ten Quarterfinal game between Wisconsin and UCLA is shaping up to be an exciting matchup between two talented teams. Both squads have had successful seasons so far, with Wisconsin finishing second in the Big Ten standings and UCLA securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

When looking at the statistics, Wisconsin has a slight edge over UCLA in terms of scoring offense, averaging 71.3 points per game compared to UCLA’s 70.2 points per game. However, UCLA has the advantage on the defensive end, allowing just 66.9 points per game compared to Wisconsin’s 68.1 points per game.

In terms of player matchups, one key battle to watch will be between Wisconsin’s leading scorer Johnny Davis and UCLA’s top defender Jaime Jaquez Jr. Davis has been a force on offense this season, averaging 19.4 points per game, while Jaquez Jr. has been a lockdown defender, averaging 1.2 steals per game.

Another key matchup to watch will be between Wisconsin’s big man Tyler Wahl and UCLA’s forward Jules Bernard. Wahl has been a dominant force in the paint, averaging 6.4 rebounds per game, while Bernard has been a versatile scorer, averaging 14.1 points per game.

In terms of predictions, this game is shaping up to be a close one, with both teams evenly matched in terms of talent and skill. However, I believe that Wisconsin will come out on top in this matchup, thanks to their strong offensive play and ability to control the pace of the game.

As for picks, I would recommend taking Wisconsin to cover the spread and the over on the total points scored in this game. I also like Johnny Davis to have a big game and score over 20 points, as he has been the go-to scorer for Wisconsin all season.

Overall, this Big Ten Quarterfinal game between Wisconsin and UCLA is sure to be an exciting matchup between two talented teams. With both squads looking to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, expect a hard-fought battle on the court with plenty of scoring and highlight-reel plays.