Are you looking to make money on the women’s tourney this year but hesitant to put money on South Carolina’s -135 odds? Trust me when I say I get it.
As good as the Gamecocks are, something about that number just doesn’t sit right. It’s a long tournament, and there are way too many potential obstacles for anyone to absorb that kind of risk on one team. Of course, the conundrum is the best teams do usually win this thing, so value is at a premium in the futures market. That’s why I’m here, to help find the best value. And I have three options below, with odds from BetMGM.
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UConn to win the tournament (+1500)
No coach in the history of college basketball has more national championships than Geno Auriemma. So, if there’s one team we can trust to overcome being seeded lower than two and go on a deep run, it’s the UConn Huskies. Especially with a star capable of heating up like Paige Bueckers.
Stanford to win the tournament (+1500)
Aside from Auriemma and Kim Mulkey, the only other coach in women’s tournament history to win three titles is Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer, so the Cardinal can’t be counted out either. But that’s not even the correct way to frame a 28-5 team with a top-five AP ranking and a top WNBA draft prospect, Cameron Brink, leading the way. As a 2-seed, they’re absolutely a team that can go the distance.
USC to win the tournament (+3000)
The Trojans’ best player is a freshman guard, so maybe that’s working against their odds here. But that freshman guard also happens to be one of the best players in the entire country. Not only did JuJu Watkins lead USC to a 26-5 record and a 1-seed, they also beat Stanford twice along the way. Considering 1-seeds have won this thing 22 of 29 times, USC has to feel incredibly disrespected to see seven teams with better odds than theirs to win this year.
