2026 Women's NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Best Bets: Odds & Predictions for Texas, LSU & More (Mar. 22)

The women's NCAA Tournament Round of 32 is here with eight matchups scheduled on the Sunday slate. In this article, I will break down my best spread and total bets for Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, and more!

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

March Madness is an exhilarating time, and I found tons of value for today's games.

As we get deeper into the tournament, Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd, and the UConn Huskies remain the overwhelming favorite to repeat as NCAA champions on FanDuel (-270). Oddsmakers view Lauren Betts and the UCLA Bruins as the only team to challenge Connecticut (+480). Looking to head back to the Final Four, Madison Booker and the Texas Longhorns (+800) hold the third-best odds to win it all.

While there's a gap between UConn, UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina (+1200), it's March, and anything can happen.

With several high-profile matchups on deck, the first matchup of the day will feature No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 4 UNC at 12 p.m. ET. Sunday's final game will feature No. 5 Washington vs. No. 3 TCU at 10 p.m. ET. Gear up, bettors, we have 10+ hours of NCAA basketball to watch!

If you're betting on the women's NCAA Tournament games today, all matchups will air on ESPN and ABC.

Let's take a look at my three best women's NCAA March Madness bets, picks, and predictions for Sunday, Mar. 22. I've placed all of my bets within DraftKings Sportsbook.

Are you in search of further NCAA Tournament and sports betting promotions? We have compiled a list of the best sports betting offers here. 

Women's NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Betting Odds for Sunday, Mar. 22 (DraftKings)

Women's NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Best Bets & Predictions for March 22

• Oregon Ducks vs. Texas Longhorns OVER 136.5 points
• LSU Tigers OVER 84.5 points vs. Texas Tech Lady Raiders
• Ole Miss Rebels +4.5 vs. Minnesota Gophers

No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 1 Texas

• OVER 136.5 Points (-110 DraftKings)

My first bet for today, I'm taking over 136.5 points for the No. 8 Oregon Ducks (23-12, 6-5 away) and the No. 1 Texas Longhorns (32-3, 19-0 home).

Set to have another home matchup at Moody Center in Austin, Texas, the Longhorns have been one of the top teams under head coach Vic Schaefer.

That said, this is an experienced team that's led by juniors and seniors Madison Booker, Rori Harmon, and Kyla Oldacre. Not only does this team have years of veteran leadership, but it also has a nice blend of younger players such as Jordan Lee and Justice Carlton. This team has star power and depth.

Let's not forget how potent this Texas offense is. Eighth in the nation in points per game (85 PPG), the Longhorns boast one of the most efficient shooting percentages (50.8% FG), and three players average points in double figures.

Named SEC Tournament MVP, Booker leads this team with 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.2 steals. Mind you, this is a squad that not only defeated Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks in the SEC Tournament final but also put up 78 points against them. In the victory, Texas shot 54% from the field and 57% from beyond the arc.

Texas Is An Offensive Powerhouse

This is the type of damage Texas can cause, and the bench produced 17 points that game. And in the first round, they defeated Missouri State, 87-45.

I love the OVER here, given that the Longhorns went to the charity stripe 21 times in the first round and shot 34-of-68 (50%) from the field. What makes this squad so dangerous is that there are several options. Lee led the first round with 19 points, and the bench produced 37.

Now match this team against an Oregon squad that is not as dynamic, but still puts up 75.6 points per game. Although finishing 11th in a competitive Big Ten Conference, Katie Fiso (15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.3 steals), Mia Jacobs (12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals), and Ehis Etute (12.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals) are the heart and soul of this team.

This is arguably Oregon's best season since the Sabrina Ionescu era, and a team that racked up 23 wins. Defeating No. 9 Virginia in the first round 70-60, Fiso led the way with 22 points. I was most impressed that this team shot 48% from the floor and 5-of-13 from three.

Texas' defense hasn't been as strong, and neither has Oregon. Both allowed under 65 points per game, and Texas held Missouri State to 13.8% shooting in the first half.

Final Women's NCAA Tournament Best Bet: Texas vs. Oregon OVER 136.5 Points (-115 DraftKings)

Schaefer admitted this Texas defense isn't the strongest he's had, and we've seen UCLA, Iowa, and Ohio State score 80 and 79 points against them this season.

• Oregon has some questionable defense and allows opponents to shoot 34.3% from beyond the arc. I'm taking the over, especially given that the Longhorns own the fifth-best offensive rating in the country (118.9). Take that against a Ducks squad that ranks outside the top 50 in defensive rating. Overall, Texas has hit the over in four of its last five games.

No. 2 LSU vs. No. 7 Texas Tech

• LSU Over 84.5 points (-115 DraftKings)

Next, I'm taking the LSU Tigers to total over 84.5 points against Texas Tech in the Round of 32.

Head coach Kim Mulkey is known for her flashy outfits, but she also leads an extremely talented LSU squad. A team that is loaded with stars and scorers, LSU ranks third in offensive rating (122.1).

Behind South Carolina transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley (14.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.9 steals, 1.5 blocks), projected WNBA lottery pick Flau'jae Johnson (14 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals), and Mikalyah Williams (13.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals), this team is LOADED.

I think this is one of the deepest teams in the country. Players who could be starters on other teams, LSU has Fulwiley, Bella Hines, and Grace Knox producing off the bench.

In reality, we are talking about an LSU team that puts up the most points in the country (95.1 PPG) and boasts the third-highest 3-point percentage in the country (37.7%). This may be a team that's lost 19 straight to the Gamecocks, but overall, they shoot 50.8% from the field.

LSU Is an Offensive Powerhouse

This is a team that averages just 5.8 3-pointers made on 15.3 3-point shot attempts. That's the scary part. This team not only scores inside, but also has players such as Johnson and Williams who can score in crafty ways.

I'm expecting another offensive showing from Mulkey's crew today. Fourth in pace (77.4), this team has speed and thrives in transition. This is a squad that scored 100+ points in eight consecutive games, an NCAA record. Not only did they score 116 points against Jacksonville in the first round, but they also had seven players score in double figures.

Shooting 60% from the field and 6-of-21 from three (29%), I expect LSU to carry this momentum into the second round. Although Texas Tech is a much better team than Jacksonville, LSU put up 100+ points in 14 games this season. Not to mention, they scored 112 against No. 1 Oklahoma, 103 against No. 23 Alabama, 70 against No. 2 Texas (then-ranked), and 93 against Duke.

Final Women's NCAA Tournament Best Bet: LSU OVER 84.5 Points (-115 DraftKings)

Kara Lawson and Duke are considered one of the best defensive teams in the country, and LSU still managed to score 93 points.

• I'm taking LSU to score over 84.5 points today. They get a Texas Tech squad that ranks No. 17 in defensive rating (82.9), but can anyone stop the Tigers? They held Villanova to 52 points and 37% from the field–can they continue that momentum? Not one team has scored 100 points on them this season. However, we did see Iowa State score 84 points against them. 

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No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Minnesota

• Ole Miss +4.5 (-110 DraftKings)

My third-best bet for today, I placed one unit on Ole Miss to cover the 4.5-point spread as underdogs against Minnesota.

Led by head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, this is a very talented Ole Miss team. Competing in a tough SEC, this team is headlined by Cotie McMahon (19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.1 steals), Christeen Iwuala (12.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.3 steals), and Latasha Lattimore (9.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 steals).

While this team doesn't have a top offense (No. 35 offensive rating, 107), they do average 75.6 points per game. And while Minnesota may have the edge defensively, Ole Miss has a 5-7 record against top-25 teams, compared to Minnesota's 3-5.

Why Ole Miss Can Cover The Spread

I was convinced when I saw Ole Miss get victories against Tennessee and Vanderbilt. And although they suffered some nasty losses to high-ranked teams, they also lost to LSU by only eight points and to Texas by three. If anything, this team has shown they can hang in.

Plus, we saw them dominate No. 12 Gonzaga 81-61 in the first round. Most impressive, the bench produced 40 points! This team has the size and length with Iwuala and Lattimore, an area where they can thrive against Minnesota.

Final Women's NCAA Tournament Best Bet: Ole Miss +4.5 (-110 DraftKings)

Overall, I wasn't too impressed with the Gophers 75-58 victory over No. 13 Green Bay. Sure, they took off late in the game, but trailed for some of it. With four players scoring in double figures (Sophie Hart, Tori McKinney, Mara Braun, and Amaya Battle), this team received little help from the bench.

• Ole Miss had the 12th toughest schedule in the nation, and, as aforementioned, Minnesota finished 3-5 against top-25 teams. 3-2 ATS over its last five games, Ole Miss can hang! This is a veteran team that has a ton of versatility.