NCAA Women’s Basketball Best Bets & Parlays Featuring No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 16 Kentucky

It is a great day for women’s college basketball. With 21 teams ranked inside the AP Top 25 in action today, fans and bettors will have plenty of great games to choose from for their viewing and betting pleasure (once odds are finally posted). Hence, the creation of our “Best Bets & Parlays” list.

You can take any of the games listed below as a single bet or any combination of for a parlay. But we’ll focus on a primary game as our ‘Best Bet’ with a few others listed as part of our parlay. So, let’s get to it and talk about some women’s basketball!

(Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images)

You can find the odds I used in putting together my bets for Sunday's NCAA women's basketball action at FanDuel.

NCAA Women's Basketball Best Bet: No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 16 Kentucky

History has favored Vanderbilt in this matchup (34-28), but both are among the best teams in the country. Neither has trouble scoring. Vanderbilt is averaging 85 points per game (No. 8 in the country), and Kentucky is averaging 76.4 (No. 36). But the Wildcats make up a little ground by playing better defense (58.5 points per game allowed, No. 46). Meanwhile, Vanderbilt allows 63.9 (No. 176).

Kentucky comes into this game with a slightly hotter hand. They have won two in a row, including a 74-57 victory over No. 14 Ole Miss in their last time out (Feb. 15). While Vanderbilt lost their last game, 76-74 vs. Georgia (Feb. 15), they won their previous four, including an 84-83 win over Kentucky in Lexington.

That game saw Vanderbilt take a 19-16 lead after the first. But Kentucky built a 38-34 advantage to lead into the break. Heading into the fourth, the Wildcats still had a four-point lead, but then Mikayla Blakes took over, scoring 19 of her 37 points in the fourth to lead Vanderbilt to a one-point road win.

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Prediction for the Feb. 22 Vanderbilt-Kentucky matchup

• My Pick: Vanderbilt -5.5 at -118

Both teams are among the best that women’s college basketball has to offer. They come into this game playing well, and I expect this game will be as good, if not better, than the first matchup. However, like the first one, it will be decided in the final moments of the game with the winner likely being whoever has the ball last.

In a game that close, I’m choosing to go with the team playing better against tough competition. Yes, Vanderbilt lost its last game, but won the previous three vs. ranked teams. Kentucky is coming off a solid win over No. 14 Ole Miss and Texas A&M, but lost five of its previous six, including three to ranked teams.

I trust Vanderbilt to come through in the clutch more than Kentucky.

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NCAA Women’s College Basketball Parlay: Early Games (FanDuel)

• No. 1 UConn vs. Providence: UNDER 131.5 at -114

The Huskies will win this game and will likely destroy Providence in the process, much like they did earlier this season (90-53). In that game, they would not have covered the spread for this one (45.5 points). The final score was OVER this TOTAL.

But Providence has won its last three games. They may take enough confidence into this game to make the final score a little bit tighter. Plus, UConn has not been covering these huge spreads of late. But we know they can, which makes the TOTAL the better bet between the two options (no moneyline).

• No. 3 South Carolina -20.5 at -114 (vs. No. 17 Ole Miss)

Ole Miss is a good team, but like most teams in the country, it is out of its depth when it tries to take on South Carolina. The Gamecocks have too much talent and depth for the Rebels to even make this one interesting. South Carolina has dominated this series, winning the last 20.

Today they’ll extend that streak to 21 games.

• No. 14 Maryland -23.5 at -110 (vs. Purdue)

Maryland is a solid squad that can play well on both ends of the court (82.8 points per game, No. 13 in the country; 62.1 points per game allowed, No. 131). In Purdue, it faces a team that has struggled in Big Ten play (4-11).  It has also been terrible on the road this season (1-9).

The Boilermakers are averaging 70 points per game (No. 111), but allowing 71.3 points per game (No. 313). Maryland should have no problem shutting them down and blowing them out at home.

• Parlay Odds: +561

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