UConn a Favorite in NCAA Women’s Final Four Showdowns

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00:00But it's also Final Four Friday, not just from the preview perspective on the show,

00:05but in the games that we will see in Tampa for the Women's NCAA Tournament.

00:10And much like we saw in the Men's NCAA Tournament, it has been mostly chalk.

00:16Now, it's 3-1 seeds in a two seed, but that two seed was not your usual two seed.

00:22It's Paige Beckers and the Connecticut Huskies,

00:25who are the odds on favor to win their region, despite being on the two line,

00:29even with USC as the one seed.

00:31And then after the unfortunate injury to Juju Watkins,

00:34it was really all UConn, led by Gino Auriemma,

00:38into their 24th Final Four under Auriemma.

00:42And that's where Connecticut still stands.

00:43UConn is the national title favorite, in minus money,

00:47entering Final Four weekend in Tampa.

00:49Minus 155, though, that updated number on the FanDuel Sportsbook,

00:54it was minus 170 just yesterday.

00:57UConn will take on the number one overall seed in UCLA.

01:01That's one matchup in Tampa, the night cap on Friday.

01:04The first is an all SEC affair between South Carolina and Texas.

01:09The Gamecocks, of course,

01:11have won two national championships in the last three years.

01:15They are the reigning national title winners, but

01:17they have been tested in the round of 32 and beyond in the NCAA Tournament.

01:23And they were tested by Texas in early February in Austin.

01:28Now we have two conference foes squaring off.

01:31And South Carolina is a four and a half point favorite in the first of two

01:35tomorrow night in Tampa, tipping around 7 PM Eastern time.

01:39That makes sense.

01:40South Carolina should be booked as the favorite.

01:43These two teams have played three times this year,

01:46including a highly anticipated SEC tournament title.

01:50South Carolina won that game by nearly 20, winning by a 19 point margin.

01:55South Carolina has won two of the three against Madison Booker and

01:58the Longhorns this year.

02:00But Texas did make a little bit of history in that matchup in Austin

02:05in early February.

02:06The Longhorns won that game outright as a slight home favorite,

02:09two and a half, three and a half points, 66-62.

02:13Snapping South Carolina's 57 game SEC win streak.

02:20That game at home for Texas, this one, of course,

02:24on a neutral site in Tampa, four and a half points spread.

02:27But South Carolina has been in a couple of dogfights into the second weekend and

02:32beyond in Birmingham.

02:34They were tested by Maryland, trailing into the final few minutes in the Sweet 16

02:38matchup against the Terps, and a low scoring affair against Duke on Saturday

02:43night or Sunday afternoon, Sunday afternoon it was, we had a tie ball game with about

02:48two and a half minutes remaining between the Gamecocks and

02:50the Blue Devils before South Carolina prevail.

02:54This is going to be a test against Texas.

02:56After the Longhorns pulled off the upset over South Carolina,

03:00I bet Texas at a 7-1 number to win the national championship.

03:05Of course, that price a little bit longer entering final four weekend at plus 850,

03:10because they do draw South Carolina.

03:12In fact, my other national championship bet back in late January

03:17was on an unbeaten UCLA team that was looking supremely talented this year.

03:23And yet, in my estimation,

03:25was not getting the credit it deserved in the national title odds.

03:29That was a plus 550 bet on the Bruins,

03:31led by one of the best pigs in the sport in Lauren Betts.

03:34Unfortunate for me to see both of my numbers a little bit longer now

03:39than they were even about two, three months ago, why?

03:43Because of how great Connecticut has been and

03:46because of course the pedigree for South Carolina.

03:49UConn is a minus money national championship favorite entering the Friday

03:53night finale in the final four tomorrow in Tampa, Florida.

03:57UConn a seven and a half point favorite against UCLA.

04:01UConn is a two seed, but only in name.

04:04UCLA is the number one overall seed and yet an underdog.

04:08Connecticut has won 14 consecutive games by at least 14 points,

04:12including all four games so far here in the women's NCAA tournament.

04:17That even dates back to the ending of their year through early February and

04:22their most recent loss to Tennessee.

04:25That includes nearly a 40 point win on the road in Columbia against South Carolina.

04:30It makes sense.

04:32UConn is an odds on favorite to win the national championship.

04:35Paige Beckers is an odds on favorite to win the most outstanding player award.

04:39She has been lights out so far in the NCAA tournament.

04:43But I do think UCLA keeps this game close.

04:46Ultimately, I do believe the Huskies will win.

04:47I think the Bruins can stay inside the number.

04:50Key matchup to me, Lauren Betts, the big for

04:53the Bruins against Sarah Strong, the outstanding freshman on the other side.

04:57We'll talk more about those games tomorrow.

04:59The Early Line returns on a Friday at 8 a.m.

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