UCLA vs. LSU Women: Picks, Predictions and Odds

The UCLA Bruins, the top seeded team in Regional 1, face No. 3 seed LSU in the region final on Sunday afternoon in Spokane, Washington at 3 p.m. ET.

Coach Cori Close’s squad has reached the round of 8 for the third time in school history and first time since 2018. The 33-2 Bruins have never advanced past this round. UCLA is 15-0 in non-conference games and 11-2 against Top-25 competition. 

All-American Lauren Betts shot 93.7% from the field (15-of-16) and scored 31 points while grabbing 10 rebounds and Kiki Rice added 13 points and seven assists as UCLA downed No. 5 seed Ole Miss in a regional semifinal Friday night, 76-62.

The Bruins’ opponent on Sunday is a familiar tournament foe. LSU, the 2023 national champions, are in their third straight region final under coach Kim Mulkey, who brought her championship pedigree with her from Baylor four years ago. The Tigers are 31-5 overall and 7-4 against Top-25 foes.

Aneesah Morrow had 30 points and 19 rebounds, Sa’Myah Smith contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Mikaylah Williams had 17 points and eight boards as LSU rallied from five down with under five minutes to play and knocked off No. 2 seed N.C. State Friday night, 80-73.

These same two teams met up last year in a regional semifinal, with the Tigers coming away a 78-69 winner before losing to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the next round. Flau’jae Johnson led LSU with 24 points and 12 rebounds, Morrow scored 17 points, and Williams added 12 points. Mulkey’s squad also got 16 points and 12 rebounds from All-American Angel Reese, who is now in the WNBA. Her absence this year could be the difference on Sunday.

Betts had 14 points and 17 rebounds in that loss for UCLA, followed by Londynn Jones with 14 points and Rice with 13 points. 

See below for our experts’ predictions on who will win this tournament rematch.

UCLA vs. LSU Women betting picks and predictions

LSU +5.0 (-105)

This is going to be a marquee matchup between two All-Americans. Betts has averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds per game in the tournament, while Morrow, a second-team All-American and the nation’s leading rebounder, is going for 27 points and 14 boards per game in the tournament.

The X-factor here could be the presence and performance of the game’s third All-American, third-team performer Johnson from LSU. The Tigers’ second leading scorer suffered an eye injury against the Wolfpack and was held to a season-low three points on 1-of-8 shooting. Mulkey expects the standout junior, who suffered double vision after incurring the injury on Friday, to play on Sunday.

Johnson’s matchup with Rice on the perimeter will be just as critical as Betts’ inside with Morrow, who also has a nation-leading 30 double-doubles. Rice is averaging seven assists in the tournament and LSU’s guards will need to stay attached to her all game. And don’t forget about Williams, who’s averaging 18.8 points over her last 10 games. 

Betts and UCLA are the favorites to get over the hump and into its first last four appearance, but the Tigers will not give up so easily. If Johnson is healthy, the Tigers put forth three legitimate scoring options while UCLA is heavily reliant on Betts inside. If LSU can contain Rice’s playmaking abilities and limit UCLA’s outside shooting, the Tigers could pull off the mild upset.

The Bruins are one of the nation’s leading rebounding teams, averaging nearly 39 per game. Keeping Morrow somewhat off the boards and restricting second and third chances for LSU at the offensive end will certainly benefit UCLA.

Our experts expect a tight matchup to come down to the wire, with LSU at least covering the spread as 5.0-point underdogs.

Total Over 147.0 Points (-110)

LSU is averaging nearly 95 points per game in the tournament. UCLA is averaging 81 points. The Bruins and their opponents have only surpassed a 147.0 total in one of three tournament games. However, LSU and its opponents have beaten the number each time.

With a spot in the last four on the line, look for both teams to push the offense and total more than 147.0 points on Sunday.

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

UCLA vs. LSU Women odds

UCLA	-240 ML
LSU	+195 ML
Spread	UCLA -5.0
Total Points	O/U 147.0

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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.