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No. 5 Wisconsin visits 10-1 Cal on Monday night
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Published: 12/22/2014  at  4:19:00 AM
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WISCONSIN BADGERS (10-1)

at CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS (10-1)

Haas Pavilion – Berkeley, CA
Tip-off: Monday, 9:00 p.m. ET
Line: Wisconsin -8.5, Total: 125.5

No. 5 Wisconsin faces a tough road game on Monday night when it visits a 10-1 California team.

Wisconsin (8-3 ATS, 4-7 OVER) has been terrific since a home loss to Duke on Dec. 3, as the team has allowed only 45.0 PPG on 32.9% FG during a current three-game winning streak. The Badgers were 2-0 against the Pac-12 last season, with both of those wins (over Oregon and Arizona) coming in the NCAA Tournament on their road to the Final Four. Bo Ryan’s team has been very good on the road in non-conference games, as it has not lost since falling to Marquette, 60-50, in 2013. California (6-5 ATS, 4-6 OVER) is off to a strong start, but is still looking for its first signature victory on the season. The best win so far is against a Syracuse team that has lost three of its past four games. In its toughest contest of the season, the Golden Bears lost by 16 points to Texas on a neutral court. Wisconsin outrebounds its opponents by +8.3 RPG, but Cal coach Cuonzo Martin has done well against teams that dominate the glass as a college basketball coach, going 38-21 ATS versus teams with a 4+ RPG margin. However, Ryan is 22-7 ATS after two straight blowout wins by 20+ points since taking the head coaching job in Madison. While the Badgers have a healthy roster for this game, the Bears SG Jabari Bird will likely miss his sixth straight game with a foot injury.

Can Wisconsin win comfortably in a tough road environment? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks. The experts have begun the 2014-15 season by posting a collective 53.1% ATS mark (78-69) in Best Bets. The five experts are led by StatFox Gary's stellar 62% ATS record (18-11), while StatFox Zach is 57% ATS (17-13) and StatFox Brian is 53% ATS (16-14) to open the season.

The Badgers are once again a Final Four contender, and one of the biggest reasons is because of the offense. Wisconsin ranks 21st in the nation in shooting (49.3% FG), 62nd in scoring (74.5 PPG), 115th in assists (13.9 APG) and 133rd in rebounding (36.3 RPG). Leading the way for Wisconsin is C Frank Kaminsky (16.0 PPG, 55% FG, 7.6 RPG, 1.9 BPG), who is one of the toughest matchups in college basketball. At 7-feet tall, he can step out and hit the outside jump shot (42% threes), pulling the opponent’s best post player out on the perimeter. By doing that, it allows guys like SF Sam Dekker (11.8 PPG, 53% FG, 4.0 RPG) and PF Nigel Hayes (11.7 PPG, 57% FG, 7.6 RPG) to attack the rim. Dekker is similar to Kaminsky, as he can score from anywhere on the court. Hayes, on the other hand, he is looking to slash to the basket. PG Traevon Jackson (9.7 PPG, 2.8 APG, 1.4 RPG) and SG Josh Gasser (7.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG) comprise a solid backcourt that does a great job of complementing each other. Jackson is the physical guard who prefers to drive to the basket, while Gasser has the ability to from deep (46% threes). The Badgers make seven three-pointers per game (34.7%) three-point line, and the Golden Bears will have to be ready to defend on the perimeter.

California is off to a great start to the season, and the biggest reason is that the team is doing a little bit of everything to secure victories. The Bears rank 59th in the nation in assists (15.2 APG), 60th in rebounding (38.5 RPG), 65th in shooting (46.8% FG) and 128th in scoring (70.8 PPG). Head coach Cuonzo Martin has one of the best players in college basketball in junior PG Tyrone Wallace (19.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 4.4 APG). He may not be well-known, but he is as complete of a player as there is. At 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, Wallace is absolutely tenacious on the glass, and is nearly impossible for opposing guards to stop. After shooting a subpar 43% FG and 32% threes as a sophomore, his shooting rates are an impressive 51% FG and 50% threes (14-of-28) this season. SGs Jordan Mathews (13.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.4 APG) and Jabari Bird (11.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.5 APG) are also talented backcourt players who force defenses to have to respect them. Mathews has been in a shooting slump with Bird missing the past five games, as Mathews is averaging 10.0 PPG on 33% FG and has made just one of his past 14 three-point attempts. The Golden Bears shoot a respectable 36.4% from three-point range, and they will need to hit some outside shots to have a chance in this game. The biggest key in the paint will be PF David Kravish (10.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG), who will be guarding Kaminsky. He did some nice work in the NCAA Tournament last year, but this could be his most difficult challenge of his career.


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