South Carolina vs. UConn Women: Picks, Predictions and Odds

The South Carolina Gamecocks are aiming to become the first repeat champions in women's college basketball since UConn won four straight titles between 2013-16.

However, in their way is a school that knows all about that as the Huskies will attempt to prevent it from happening.

South Carolina is playing for its third national title in the past four seasons, and fourth overall, while UConn is trying to win its 12th title, and first since 2016.

Dawn Staley’s team is now 35-3 overall after beating the Texas Longhorns for the third time this season, 74-57, in the first last 4 game last night. 

Joyce Edwards had 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists off the bench, while Te-Hina Paopao scored a team-high 14 points for the Gamecocks as Bree Hall added 11 points and Tessa Johnson chipped in with nine points. 

South Carolina finished as co-regular season SEC champions with Texas before pummeling the Longhorns 64-45 to win the conference tournament.

The Gamecocks have won 12 straight going into the national championship. The team had a couple of tight games in its region, four-point victories over Maryland in a regional semifinal and Duke in the region final, before again pummelling the Longhorns. 

UConn is now 36-3 overall after handling UCLA in the other national semifinal last night, 85-51. Sarah Strong had 22 points and eight rebounds, Azzi Fudd scored 19 points and Paige Bueckers scored 16 points in UConn’s easy 85-51 victory over the Bruins meaning the team has now won 15 straight going into the championship game.  

Geno Auriemma’s squad is making its first appearance in the championship game in three years. 

This is the second time the two women’s basketball titans are meeting this season. Last time, UConn ended South Carolina’s 71-game home winning streak in February with a dominating 87-58 victory.

Fudd had 28 points to lead all scorers, while Bueckers had 12 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds and Strong chipped in with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Edwards had 17 to lead the Gamecocks, followed by MiLaysia Fulwiley with 11 points and Paopao with 10 points. 

South Carolina vs UConn betting picks and predictions

UConn -5.5 (-110)

The Huskies have lost one game in three-and-a-half months - an 80-76 setback at Tennessee in early February - winning 26 games in that period, all of them by double digits.

Take away the 103-34 destruction of Arkansas State in the first round of the tournament, and UConn is still averaging more than a 26-point differential in its other four contests.

That includes last night’s 34-point walloping of UCLA, which had previously lost just twice, to USC, this season.

It sounds weird for a South Carolina team playing for back-to-back titles to be a 5.5-point underdog. Especially one that had no problem in a 17-point victory over Texas in the other national semifinal but UConn’s 29-point defeat of the Gamecocks in Columbia earlier this season provided the blueprint of how to handle this year’s South Carolina contingent.

Expect to see a highly motivated Huskies team - this is the last chance for Bueckers to win a national title - as they look to win their 12th championship and they can cover the 5.5-point spread as favorites.

Total Under 133 Points (-110)

The contrasting styles will come into play again on Sunday. UConn has surpassed the 135 points total in all five of its tournament games but South Carolina has only done so twice, and that includes a 108-48 defeat of overmatched Tennessee Tech in the first round. 

So if the game goes under 133, the Gamecocks are probably cutting down the nets. If the total is above 133, like it was when the two teams met up in February, UConn should come away the victors.

UConn are tipped to set the offensive pace in this one, with the Gamecocks responding in kind so look out for the two teams to total more than 133 points in the national championship game.

South Carolina vs UConn Women odds

South Carolina	+230
UConn	-280
Spread	UConn -5.5
Total Points	O/U 133

Read more betting picks and predictions for College Basketball on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.