The NCAA women’s basketball championship game many were expecting has come to fruition, with the undefeated. South Carolina Gamecocks facing Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday in Cleveland. South Carolina is priced as a significant betting favorite on odds boards.
Top sportsbook sites have the Gamecocks at on the point spread, with the Hawkeyes available for with a spread bet and on the moneyline. The OVER/UDNDER total is . Here are live odds for the Iowa vs. South Carolina women’s basketball final:
Iowa had a much more challenging path to the title game, beating teams like Colorado, LSU, and UConn to make it here.
South Carolina has had some close games of its own, beating Indiana by only four points in the Sweet 16 and Oregon State by 12 in the Elite 8. The Gamecocks hammered NC State in their Final Four matchup, 78-59, perhaps a sign they are playing their best basketball at the right time of the season.
Here’s everything you need to know about betting on Iowa vs. South Carolina in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, including updated odds, trends, and our prediction for Sunday’s Women’s National Championship game on ABC/ESPN at 3:00 p.m. ET
Iowa vs. South Carolina odds
Here are the latest college basketball betting odds for Iowa vs. South Carolina from the best sports betting apps in your state.
Three betting trends to watch
- South Carolina is undefeated, and only three of its first 29 wins had a margin of 12 or fewer points. Over the Dawn Staley-coach squad’s last eight games, though, six have decided by 12 or fewer points, a sign teams are pushing the Gamecocks closer to defeat more often.
- Iowa has had two double-digit scorers outside of Caitlin Clark in every NCAA Tournament game, which is crucial for the Hawkeyes.
- A win would be Iowa’s first national championship, while South Carolina has two under their Staley (2022, 2017).
Iowa Hawkeyes key players
- Caitlin Clark is the easy choice here for the top key player for Iowa. She is having one of the best seasons in NCAA history and has put her name in the record book multiple times. Clark averages 32 points, 7.3 rebounds, nine assists, and 1.8 steals per game. She leads Iowa in each category but does even more beyond the impressive stat line. She has a Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant type of clutch gene. When the stage is the biggest, the moment is the most crucial, even if the Hawkeyes are outmatched, Clark can elevate herself and her team to win any game.
- Hannah Stuelke has had a big season and provides a lot for an undersized Iowa squad. 6-foot-2, she is the team’s tallest player, averaging over 10 minutes per game. She has made big strides in her sophomore season, ranking second on the team with 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
- Kate Martin has had a strong NCAA Tournament, especially over the last three matchups, even as opponents have gotten more challenging. Martin has scored 14, 21, and 11 points over her last three, hitting at least one three in each game.
South Carolina Gamecocks key players
- Kamilla Cardoso has been a mismatch for almost every opponent all season. South Carolina’s 6-foot-7 center averages 14.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. The senior is also efficient, shooting 58.9% from the field, ranking top 20 in the country.
- Raven Johnson does not always stuff the stat sheet scoring-wise, but her passing ability plays a pivotal role for the Gamecocks offense. Johnson averages 4.9 assists per game, ranking in the top 50 in the country.
- Tessa Johnson, a freshman guard, averaged only 6.2 PPG in the regular season but has had a coming out party in the NCAA Tournament. She has played over 20 minutes in each tournament game and is averaging 10.5 PPG over her last four.
Best individual matchup: Hannah Stuelke vs. Kamilla Cardoso
Cardoso has a five-inch height advantage over Stuelke, and for the Hawkeyes to win, they need their sophomore forward to play big. Cardoso took over the Gamecocks’ Final Four game with her offensive rebounding, and Iowa can’t let that happen.
Iowa vs. South Carolina stat to know
South Carolina averages 46.3 RPG, while Iowa averages 41.6 RPG. The Hawkeyes can’t let South Carolina win the rebounding battle by more than five or so. With Caitlin Clark on their side, Iowa can try to outscore South Carolina, and that would be a realistic way to win. If South Carolina bludgeons them on the boards and gets a lot of easy putbacks, though, it is hard to see Iowa winning.
Iowa vs. South Carolina ATS and moneyline prediction: Caitlin Clark caps career with National Championship
It may not be pretty; it may have moments that seem like the Gamecocks are ready to run away with it, but somehow, some way Caitlin Clark powers Iowa to their first National Championship ever.
Prediction: Iowa 84, South Carolina 82 (+240 moneyline). Iowa (+6.5) covers the spread, with the game going OVER the total (159.5)
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