Tag: Te’hina Paopao

Women’s NCAA Championship Game: Iowa vs. South Carolina odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Sunday’s Iowa vs. South Carolina odds and lines, with college basketball expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Iowa Hawkeyes (34-4) and South Carolina Gamecocks (37-0) meet Sunday in the National Championship Game of the Women’s NCAA Tournament. Tip-off from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland is slated for 3 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Iowa vs. South Carolina odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.

It will be a rematch of a 2023 semifinal as a pair of No. 1 seeds clash in Cleveland.

Iowa advanced after a 71-69 win against No. 3 seed UConn Friday. Things got off to a slow start, but the Hawkeyes came on late. However, there was a controversial offensive foul on the Huskies with 3.9 seconds left with them trailing 70-69. Iowa got the ball back and it hung on for the win, although a late G Caitlin Clark missed free throw helped UConn grab the cover as a 2.5-point underdog.

The Hawkeyes shot just 45.8% (27-of-59) from the field, and just 28.0% (7-of-25) from behind the 3-point line, while turning it over 16 times. Iowa finished with a 37-to-29 rebounding margin as G Sydney Affolter, Clark and G Kate Martin combined for 24 of those boards. Meanwhile, it was F Hannah Stuelke who led the team with 23 points as Clark scored 21 points while struggling from behind the 3-point line (3-for-11).

Iowa has managed a 2-3 against the spread (ATS) mark in its 5 NCAA Tournament games, while the Under holds a slight 3-2 edge.

South Carolina rolled to a 78-59 semifinal win over 11th-seeded NC State Friday. The Gamecocks actually led just 32-31 at halftime, but the Gamecocks used a 29-6 run in the 3rd quarter to pull away for the win and cover as 11.5-point favorites, while the Under (139.5) hung on.

The Gamecocks were led by C Kamilla Cardoso, who went for a game-high 22 points with 11 rebounds and 2 blocked shots, while shooting an efficient 10-of-12 from the field. G Raven Johnson chipped in with 13 points, while G Te-Hina Paopao ended up with 10 points and a team-best 6 assists.

Like Iowa, South Carolina is 2-3 ATS in the Tournament, while the Under is 4-1 in the 5 outings.

South Carolina is No. 1 and Iowa is No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

Iowa vs. South Carolina odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook’s; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 6:08 p.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): Iowa +220 (bet $100 to win $220) | South Carolina -275 (bet $275 to win $100)
  • Against the spread: Iowa +6.5 (-110) | South Carolina -6.5 (-110)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 159.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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Iowa vs. South Carolina and predictions

Prediction

South Carolina 81, Iowa 76

Moneyline

South Carolina (-275) will cost 2.75 times your potential return, and that’s way too much risk for not enough reward.

The unbeaten Gamecocks should get the job done in this revenge game after being bounced by the Hawkeyes last season in the Final Four, but I’m not willing and can’t suggest backing a -275 favorite in any sport.

However, expect Iowa (+220) to put up a good fight. This should be an epic cap for one of the most memorable seasons in women’s basketball history.

AVOID a moneyline play unless you’re willing to take a chance with Clark and the Hawkeyes.

Against the spread

IOWA +6.5 (-110) is worth backing, catching more than 3 buckets. Clark and Co. will be a tremendous test for unbeaten South Carolina.

Iowa stunned South Carolina last season 77-73 in the Final Four in Dallas, snapping a 42-game win streak for the Gamecocks. Clark scored 41 points to set a Final Four record, and you can bet she’ll be front and center for the Hawkeyes Sunday, especially after an ugly shooting performance in the semifinal against UConn.

Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+

Over/Under

UNDER 159.5 (-110) is the lean in this title game.

The Under has cashed in 4 of 5 NCAA Tournament games for South Carolina, while cashing in 3 of 5 outings for Iowa. The total almost went low in the UConn game, too, but a late free throw by Clark flipped the total in favor of the Over by a half-point.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin /
College Sports Wire: Men’s hoops / Women’s hoops / High School

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March Madness: Championship Game strategy for the $2.5K USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool

Win $2.5K in the Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool: National Championship Game pick and prediction.

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The 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament wraps up Sunday at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Only 53 entries in USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool contest remain out of the 3,754 who signed up.

The tournament favorite South Carolina Gamecocks (37-0) meet the Iowa Hawkeyes (34-4) for all the marbles in the Women’s NCAA Tournament Championship Game Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN).

On Friday, No. 1 overall seed South Carolina took care of NC State 78-59 with C Kamilla Cardoso going for 22 points with 11 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. The superstar center was a very efficient 10-for-12 from the field, and she was one of three South Carolina players to go for double-digit points.

Gamecocks G Raven Johnson added 13 points, with most of her damage coming on 3 triples, while G Te-Hina Paopao was good for 10 points, 6 assists and a steal, while knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.

South Carolina shot 50.0% (30-for-60) from the field, including 42.1% (8-for-19) from behind the 3-point line. It managed to get to the free-throw line just 4 times, but it converted 4 shots.

Iowa advanced to the title game for the 2nd consecutive season, easing by UConn 71-69. With 10 seconds to go, the Huskies trailed 70-69 and had the ball, but a controversial offensive foul on F Aaliyah Edwards against G Gabbie Marshall gave the Hawkeyes the ball back with 3.9 seconds to go. G Caitlin Clark was fouled with 3.5 seconds left, hit the 1st free throw and missed the 2nd, but G Sydney Affolter came down with the offensive board and Iowa hung on for the 2-point win.

The Hawkeyes were just 45.8% (27-for-59) from the floor, while going 28.0% (7-for-25) from behind the 3-point line and 71.4% (10-for-14) from the charity stripe. Clark didn’t have her best game but finished with 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting, while going 3-for-11 from downtown. F Hannah Stuelke actually led the Hawkeyes with a game-high 23 points on an efficient 9-of-12 shooting performance.

South Carolina is No. 1 and Iowa is No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

As for the USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool contest, I had 3 correct picks in the opening round for 12 points but stumbled in the 2nd round and was eliminated when 4th-seeded Kansas State lost to 5th-seeded Colorado. Another 4-seed, Indiana, won for me that round, but the KSU pick did me in.

Despite the loss, I still offered picks in an attempt to help you in your chase for the $2.5K 1st-place prize. Only having to make 1 pick the remaining rounds, rebounded with LSU (3 points) in the Sweet 16 upsetting UCLA in a 78-69 thriller. In the Elite 8, I won with UConn (3 points) against USC. And I won with Iowa (1 point) in the Friday’s semifinal.

As an employee, I wasn’t eligible to win this contest, but there was no rule against me helping you.

A rules reminder: Remaining entries are required to pick the National Championship Game winner — if you still have an eligible team to select.

Points are earned equal to your winning teams’ seeds.

Here is my strategy of which team to pick for Sunday’s championship.

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National Championship Game pick

PICK: SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

I intentionally held off from selecting South Carolina in the earlier rounds in the event it managed to avoid the upset and get to the title game. The strategy worked — excluding my darn K-State pick in the 2nd round.

After selecting Iowa in the Final Four, I didn’t have any other choice for the this round anyway.

Clark and the Hawkeyes are back in the National Championship Game for the 2nd consecutive season.

Unfortunately for them, coach Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks are on a mission, will finish 38-0 and grab the title as Iowa will once again be the bridesmaid — the Hawkeyes lost to LSU in last year’s title game.

Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin /
College Sports Wire: Men’s hoops / Women’s hoops / High School

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