Women’s College Basketball Tournament: Picks, Predictions and Odds

The Women’s College Basketball Tournament field of 68 is set and a full slate of 16 games is coming on Friday and Saturday in the tournament’s first round. 

Let’s break down the odds while also discussing some of the best bets to be made on who is most likely to cut down the nets and hoist the national championship at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland on April 7.

Women's Tournament betting picks and predictions

Best bet: South Carolina to win outright (-130)

The top-ranked and undefeated Gamecocks (32-0) have unfinished business after coming up short in the last four a year ago. 

South Carolina has been dominant, leading the Power Five conferences in points differential, beating opponents by an average of 29.7 points a game. That’s more than five points better than second-place UConn.

 The Gamecocks are fourth in the country in both scoring (86.1 ppg) and rebounding (46.3 rpg) The second-seeded team in South Carolina’s region, Notre Dame, lost to South Carolina by 29, 100-71, in Paris to start the 2023/24 season. The Gamecocks are trying to win their second national championship in the past three seasons and third overall.

Kamila Cardoso leads South Carolina with 14 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. She will miss the Gamecocks’ tournament opener after being ejected in the SEC Conference tournament, but will be back for the second round and beyond. 

Freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley is averaging 11.8 points and 2.3 assists per game and a potential matchup between her and national Freshman of the Year candidate Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame in the last eight will be a highlight of the regional. 

Te-Hina Paopao (11.1 ppg), Ashlyn Watkins (9.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg), Brie Hall (9.7 ppg) and Raven Johnson (8.1 ppg, team-high 4.9 apg and 2.0 spg) are all contributing regularly for coach Dawn Staley’s squad. Even at such short odds, South Carolina is that good and is our pick to cut down the nets.

Iowa to win outright (+650)

The Hawkeyes continue to be led by future No. 1 overall WNBA pick Caitlin Clark, who leads the nation in both scoring (31.9 ppg) and assists (8.9 apg). The Hawkeyes lead the nation in scoring at 92.8 points per game, over six points a game more than LSU, the team that defeated Iowa in the national championship last year. 

Iowa is the No. 1 seed in Regional 2 in Albany, and could face the third-seeded Tigers in the regional final, provided LSU can get past Pac 12 champion UCLA, the No. 2 seed. That’s if Iowa survives a potential last 16 matchup with No. 4 seed Kansas State, which split two games with the Hawkeyes earlier this season. Iowa will have to overcome height deficiencies against either LSU or the Bruins in the last eight in that potential matchup.

Clark also leads the Hawkeyes in rebounds (7.3 rpg) and steals (1.8 spg). Hannah Stuelke (14.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Kate Martin (12.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg), and Sydney Affolter (7.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg) are other key players for the Big 10 conference tournament champs, who have won six straight coming into the Women’s College Basketball Tournament There’s a lot to like about Iowa making a deep run in this tournament.

LSU to win outright (+650)

The defending national champions have gone 10-1 since the start of February, with just a contentious 79-72 SEC conference tournament semifinal loss to top-ranked South Carolina blighting that end-of-season run. 

The Tigers are only a 3-seed in the Regional 2 in Albany, and will have to get past UCLA and Iowa just to reach the last four, but coach Kim Mulkey’s squad will be unfazed by any opponent.

The 28-5 Tigers have Angel Reese, who led the team with 19 points a game and is second in the nation with 13.1 rebounds per contest. 

LSU is second in the nation in scoring and third in the nation in rebounding. They can do it all. 

In addition to Reese, the Tigers have Aneesah Morrow, who is also averaging a double-double per game at 16.5 points and 10 rebounds per. Mikaylah Williams (14.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Flau’jae Johnson (14.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg), and Hailey Van Lith (12.3 ppg, 3.7 apg) are all key contributors. 

We like LSU to survive this tough region and reach the last four for the second consecutive year. Mulkey has already won four national championships. She could lead the Tigers past the Gamecocks in a third game this season that would be for the national championship. 

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Women’s College Basketball Tournament Odds

South Carolina	-130
Iowa	+650
LSU	+650
Stanford	+1600
Texas	+1800
Connecticut	+2000
Ohio State	+2000

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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.