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The LSU Lady Tigers (31-5) and Iowa Hawkeyes (32-4) meet Monday in Elite 8 action in the Women’s NCAA Tournament. Tip-off from the MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y., is slated for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the LSU vs. Iowa odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The 3rd-seeded Tigers meet the 1st-seeded Hawkeyes in the Regional 2 Final for a trip to the Final Four in Cleveland. More importantly, this should be a rating’s bonanza, with F Angel Reese and the defending champion Tigers taking on record-setter G Caitlin Clark and the national runner-up Hawkeyes.
LSU has played better as the NCAA Tournament has moved along. It opened with an uninspiring 10-point win over 14th-seeded Rice in the 1st round in Baton Rouge, never threatening to cover the 28.5-point number as the Under (146.5) easily covered.
In the 2nd round, the Tigers downed 11th-seeded Middle Tennessee 83-56, covering as 16.5-point favorites, again hitting the Under (141.5). They played their best game of the tourney against 2nd-seeded UCLA in Albany Saturday, winning 78-69 to cover as 3.5-point favorites as the Over (144.5) just came through.
For the Hawkeyes, they topped 16th-seeded Holy Cross 91-65 in the opening round but just missed the cover as 38.5-point favorites in Iowa City with the Under (157.5) cashing. In Round 2, Iowa held off a charge from 8th-seeded West Virginia, winning 64-54, but again, Iowa failed to cover — this time as a 14.5-point favorite as the Under (163.5) again came in.
In a Sweet 16 matchup in Albany against 5th-seeded Colorado, the Hawkeyes played their most complete game of the tournament, cashing as 7.5-point favorites with the Under (157.5) hitting.
When these teams met last season in the championship game, LSU won 102-85 as a 3.5-point underdog — cashing as a +125 dog on the moneyline — and the Over (159.5) easily cashed.
Clark scored 30 for Iowa in last season’s title game, while hitting 8 triples. The Hawkeyes shot 50.0% from the field, and 46.7% behind the arc, but they turned the ball over 16 times and were outrebounded 37-26. LSU was led by G Jasmine Carson, who scored 22 off the bench, hitting 5 of the team’s 11 3-pointers in her final college game. Reese had a double-double, scoring 15 points with 10 boards, 5 assists, 3 steals and a blocked shot.
LSU is No. 6 and Iowa is No. 2 in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
LSU vs. Iowa odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook’s; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:10 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): LSU +110 (bet $100 to win $110) | Iowa -135 (bet $135 to win $100)
- Against the spread: LSU +1.5 (+100) | Iowa -1.5 (-120)
- Over/Under (O/U): 168.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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LSU vs. Iowa and predictions
Prediction
Iowa 83, LSU 77
Moneyline
IOWA (-135) is worth playing in this highly-anticipated rematch. This is going to be a titanic contest for the women’s game, regardless of which team comes out on top. The TV ratings should be through the roof.
As far as the result, the Hawkeyes have played well in this tournament, played their best game against Colorado last time out.
Against the spread
IOWA -1.5 (-120) is slightly cheaper laying the bucket. Unless you strongly feel the Hawkeyes are going to win, but only by a point, this is a better option than the moneyline.
LSU was tremendous against UCLA, but something has been missing in this tournament. The Tigers just haven’t looked like a dominant team capable of winning it all.
Bank on Clark to get the job done in Albany, evening the score against the Tigers and Reese — after last season’s title-game loss — while the Hawkeyes advance to Cleveland with much bigger fish to fry.
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Over/Under
UNDER 168.5 (-110) is worth a look in this Elite 8 showdown.
The Tigers have cashed the Under in 2 of the past 3 NCAA Tournament games, while the Hawkeyes have ended up going low in all 3 of their games in the tourney. We had a high-scoring game last season in the national championship, but this season these teams have not been nearly as prolific on offense in the tournament.
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