2026 Women's NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Best Bets: South Carolina, UConn, UCLA Picks & Odds (Mar. 23)

March Madness is officially in full swing, and the women's NCAA Tournament continues. Today will mark the completion of the Round of 32 matchups. In this article, you will find my best bets and top picks for the South Carolina, UConn, and LSU matchups on Mar. 23.

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There are eight games on the slate, and there are a few highly anticipated ones! While games are already in session, I will focus on the most popular squads and value picks!

Oddsmakers still have the UConn Huskies as the favorite to repeat as NCAA national champions on FanDuel (-260). Next in line are the UCLA Bruins (+500), Texas (+750), and South Carolina (+800). Ironically, all four of these teams punched their tickets to the women's Final Four last year.

No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 3 Louisville Cardinals are underway in the Region 3 Fort Worth, and No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers will square off against No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeyes Arena. We saw the men's Iowa team upset No. 1 Florida last night. Can the Iowa women's basketball team advance post-Caitlin Clark era?

Beginning at 4 p.m. ET, Hannah Hidalgo and No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish will face No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. This evening, No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats will play No. 4 West Virginia Mountaineers, and No. 7 Illinois Fighting Illini get No. 2 Vanderbilt Commodores.

Women's NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Matchups

While every matchup is important, several high-profile teams will take the floor tonight. Beginning at 6 p.m. ET, Azzi Fudd and No. 1 UConn Huskies will face No. 9 Syracuse Orange. Favored by 36.5 points, UConn owns the largest spread margin for the day.

Set to tip off at 8 p.m. ET, Jazzy Davidson and No. 9 USC Trojans will match up against Raven Johnson and No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks. Set to take place at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, the Gamecocks are 24.5-point spread favorites.

Last, Micah Gray and No. 9 Oklahoma State Cowgirls will play Lauren Betts and No. 1 UCLA Bruins. Similar to UConn and South Carolina, the Bruins are favored by 25.5 points. Squaring off in the Sacramento 2 Region, these two teams will match up at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, at 10 p.m. ET.

If you're planning to bet on the NCAA Women's Round of 32 matchups, games will air on ESPN and ESPN2.

Here are my three best bets, picks, and predictions for the women's NCAA March Madness matchups for Monday, Mar. 23. Let's first look at the NCAA Tournament betting odds, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. I've placed all of my picks within FanDuel, DraftKings, and Fanatics Sportsbook.

Women's NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Betting Odds for Monday, Mar. 23 (FanDuel)

Women's NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Best Bets & Predictions for Mar. 23

• USC Trojans +23.5 vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
• Oklahoma State Cowgirls UNDER 57.5 points vs. UCLA Bruins
• Syracuse Orange vs. UConn Huskies UNDER 142 points

No. 9 USC vs. No. 1 South Carolina

• USC +23.5 (-110 DraftKings)

My first best bet for today, I placed one unit on the USC Trojans to cover the 23.5-point spread against South Carolina.

Massive underdogs, the Trojans will head across town to face the No. 1 seed. With an 18-13 record, the Trojans managed to stay alive with their top star, JuJu Watkins, who's recovering from an ACL injury. While she's remained out for the season, freshman guard Jazzy Davidson has stepped up to the plate in her absence.

In 31 regular-season games, Davidson led the Trojans with 18 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, two steals, and two blocks. While her perimeter shooting could improve (25% 3PT), she's been the team's leader in more than one way.

USC barely survived in the first round, defeating No. 8 Clemson 71-67 in overtime. Led by Davidson's 31 points, she made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:05 left in overtime to put the Trojans ahead. Shooting 13-of-28 from the field and 4-of-10 from three, USC will need that type of performance tonight.

With three players scoring points in double figures, Kara Dunn finished with 22, and Kennedy Smith, 12.

Let's be honest, South Carolina is the more complete team, and they are the No. 1 team for a reason. 11-3 against top-25 teams, this is one of the deepest rosters in the nation. Led by Dawn Staley, the offense produces 86.8 points per game. Stacked with a blend of underclassmen, this team is headlined by Raven Johnson, Joyce Edwards, Ta'Niya Latson, Madina Okot, and more. While I have the Gamecocks moving on, USC can cover the spread here.

Why USC Can Cover The Spread Against South Carolina

This certainly isn't the first meeting between head coaches Dawn Staley and Lindsay Gottlieb. In the first meeting in Los Angeles back in November, the Gamecocks took care of business, 69-52. In a low-scoring affair, South Carolina won outright, but USC kept the spread within 17 points.

I wanted to put out this game for a reason: USC lost by 17 shots on 22-of-67 field goal shooting (33%), and just 1-of-14 3-point shooting (7%). Turnovers were a problem, and they were largely dominated on the rebounds, 56-32. But still, this team managed to keep things in check, somewhat, especially considering South Carolina boasts the fifth-best defensive rating (80) in the nation.

In this matchup, Davidson couldn't get going, finishing with just eight points on 4-of-11 shooting.  Only two players scored in double figures, and that was Kennedy Smith with 12 points and Kara Dunn with 10. While the shooting percentages were abysmal, USC isn't known for its offense this year. Putting up 70 points per game, let's not forget they held the eighth-hardest schedule. With that, this is a team that shoots barely over 40% from the field (41%). When it comes to 3-point shooting (30.3%), it isn't much better.

While Staley's Gamecocks are deemed unbeatable, USC's defense may very well keep them in this. In the first matchup, South Carolina shot just 41% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. It's vital they keep Tessa Johnson and Raven Johnson off the 3-point line.

I like USC in a must-win game here. 4-9 against top-25 teams, they gathered wins against Washington, Nebraska, Iowa, and NC State.

Final Women's NCAA Tournament Best Bet: USC +23.5 (-110 DraftKings)

In addition, they lost to Notre Dame by two points and to Maryland by seven.  Although they were defeated by Michigan State, Michigan, and Ohio State, each loss was by six points or less.

• I'm taking USC to cover the 23.5 spread as underdogs tonight. South Carolina is coming off a 69-point victory over Southern and is a top-tier team. However, USC allows just 63 points per game, limiting opponents to 39.5% from the field and 29.3% from 3-point range. In its last matchup against South Carolina, the Gamecocks never led by more than 17 points, and USC forced 17 turnovers. I do think USC's shooting will improve from the last game. 23.5 points is a lot for a second-round matchup.

No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 1 UCLA

• Oklahoma State UNDER 57.5 points (-115 Fanatics)

My second-best bet for today, I placed one unit on Oklahoma State to total under 57.5 points against UCLA.

UCLA is the No. 1 seed for a reason, and one could argue they could have earned the first overall seed over UConn.

This is an elite Bruins team, led by WNBA projected lottery pick Lauren Betts (16.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.9 blocks), Kiki Rice (15.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals), Gabriela Jaquez (13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals), and Gianna Kneepkens (13.2 points).

Led by head coach Cori Close, this program is elite on both sides of the ball, has a core four, and depth. Boasting guard strength and size in the frontcourt, this is a scary Bruins team. We know UCLA is going to score; they average 85.5 points per game. Plus, they finished 12-1 against top-25 teams this season.

What stands out to me is UCLA's defense. While not nearly as potent as UConn or LSU, UCLA ranks No. 21 in the nation in defensive rating (83.4), holding teams to 56.6 points per game. That said, they hold teams to 35.8% from the field and 27.9% shooting from beyond the arc.

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Trust UCLA's Defense

While the first half was a bit rocky, UCLA took care of Cal Baptist in the first round, 96-43. Allowing just 43 points, Cal Baptist scored just nine second-half points. Yes, you read that correctly—UCLA limited them to four points in the third and five in the fourth quarters. As a team, Cal Baptist shot a dreadful 16-of-64 (25%) from the floor and 6-of-30 (20%) from three. UCLA's defense was relentless in the second half, forcing nine turnovers overall and 18 personal fouls.

Clearly, Oklahoma State is a much better team than Cal Baptist, averaging 81.5 points per game. With a 24-9 record, the Cowgirls failed to make it past the Kansas State Wildcats, 74-73, in the Big 12 Tournament. This team has some heavy hitters; in fact,  Micah Gray, Jadyn Wooten, Stailee Heard, Achol Akot, and Haleigh Timmer all average double figures in scoring. In fact, this is a team that ranks No. 9 in offensive rating (114.6).

Where both teams don't thrive is pace, and UCLA and Oklahoma State rank outside the top 50. That said, Oklahoma State is 3-4 against top-25 teams, including wins over Texas Tech and Iowa State. But let's face it, they've yet to face a defense as tough as the Bruins. On Feb. 21, West Virginia blew them out, 72-40.

Final Women's NCAA Tournament Best Bet: Oklahoma State UNDER 57.5 Points (-115 Fanatics)

The Cowgirls took care of Princeton 82-68 in the first round, and shot 52% from the field and 47% from the floor. Akot led the way with 38, but as mentioned previously, UCLA's defense is strong.

Capping off the regular season with a 25-game win streak, UCLA held opponents to under 58 points in 10 games. Specifically, Duke and Oregon scored just 59 points against UCLA. Top teams such as Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas all scored under 68 points. Most recently, Iowa was held to 49 points in the Big Ten Tournament final. While I didn't see that outcome happening, Iowa shot just 28% from the field and 22% from three in the final.

• I'm taking the Oklahoma State Cowgirls to score under 57.5 points today. It's a must-win game, but don't underestimate the Bruins' defense in crucial games.  Trust UCLA's defense backed by Lauren Betts rim protection, along with guards Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez. 

No. 9 Syracuse vs. No. 1 UConn

• Syracuse vs. UConn UNDER 142 points (-110 FanDuel)

Perhaps this is one of the most intriguing matchups of the day. Syracuse stunned Audi Crooks and Iowa State 72-63, and will face a top UConn team.

I didn't see that coming, but it's March Madness after all. I wouldn't exactly call this a rivalry, but a matchup of two teams in close proximity (ish). UConn has dominated the matchup, 39-4, and is now tabbed as 36.5-point spread favorites.

UConn is the definition of elite, finishing as the only team in men's or women's Division 1 basketball to go undefeated this season. They are so favored that the moneyline isn't available on several sportsbooks.

We know one thing: UConn is the most decorated program in the nation and is elite on both sides of the ball. Ranked second in offensive rating (123.2), this team puts up 88 points per game. Backed by NOY candidate Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd, and KK Arnold, this team has set the standard for the rest.

Can UConn Go Back-to-Back?

And what makes this team so special is its defense. Allowing just 50.4 points per game, UConn leads the country in defensive rating (69.9) and NET rating (53.3). Folks, this isn't good; this is perfection. Perhaps Geno Auriemma will get some stellar play on his birthday.

A perfect 36-0 on the season, UConn finished the season as Big East Tournament champions. Defeating UTSA 90-52 in the first round, the game totaled 142 points. And that scary part is, I don't think UConn gave 100 percent.

UConn may have put up 90 points, but shot just 7-of-33 from downtown (21%). Defensively, they forced 27 turnovers and finished with 19 steals. If that doesn't describe their defense, I don't know what does.

UTSA shot just 49 attempts compared to the Huskies' 71. And while the over has soared in five of the last six games, the totals have been set at 125-138 points.

I'm not saying Syracuse will get crushed, but they are 0-3 against top-25 teams, and average over 14 points less than the Huskies. Syracuse doesn't have nearly as much depth as UConn, as Uche Izoje, Laila Phelia, Dominique Darius, and Sophie Burrows have been the main scoring options.

Final Women's NCAA Tournament Best Bet: Syracuse vs. UConn UNDER 142 Points (-110 FanDuel)

While they scored 72 against Iowa State, I don't think that will happen against Connecticut. Plus, this is an Orange team that averages 16 turnovers per game!

• I'm taking this matchup to total under 142 points. Against top-25 teams, UConn has held opponents to 63.2 points per game. Syracuse's offense has been inconsistent, especially when it comes to 3-point shots and getting the rhythm going. Overall, UConn held opponents to 33.4% from the field and 27.5% from three. With the deepest roster in the country, UConn's reserves would be starters anywhere else. This team has the firepower to stop Syracuse in its tracks.