NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament 2023: Odds, Picks for Sunday's Bracket
The field for the 2023 NCAA women's basketball tournament has been cut in half over the past two days. There were 64 teams heading into the first round (which took place Friday and Saturday), and now, there are only 32 remaining.
The number of teams will dwindle even more Sunday, when the second round gets underway with eight matchups. Three No. 1 seeds (South Carolina, Stanford and Virginia Tech) and three No. 2 seeds (Iowa, Maryland and Utah) will all be in action, with each of those programs looking to avoid getting upset while also trying to punch a ticket to the Sweet 16.
Several teams that pulled off first-round upsets will be aiming to do it again. Among those teams taking the court Sunday will be Georgia and Princeton, a pair of No. 10 seeds, and No. 11-seeded Mississippi State.
Here's the full schedule for Sunday's second-round action, along with odds for each game. Then, we'll take a look at some of the matchups that may be best to bet on.
Sunday Schedule, Odds
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No. 1 South Carolina (-25.5) vs. No. 8 South Florida, 1 p.m. ET, ABC
No. 2 Iowa (-12) vs. No. 10 Georgia, 3 p.m. ET, ABC
No. 3 Notre Dame (-6) vs. No. 11 Mississippi State, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
No. 1 Virginia Tech (-9) vs. No. 9 South Dakota State, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2
No. 2 Maryland (-8) vs. No. 7 Arizona, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
No. 2 Utah (no line) vs. No. 10 Princeton, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
No. 3 LSU (-9.5) vs. No. 6 Michigan, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
No. 1 Stanford (-10.5) vs. No. 8 Ole Miss, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
No. 2 Iowa (-12) vs. No. 10 Georgia
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Iowa was as dominant in its first-round victory as expected. The Hawkeyes blew out No. 15 seed SE Louisiana, rolling to a 95-43 win, with junior guard Caitlin Clark collecting 26 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds to lead the way.
Clark, a two-time first-team All-American, has been one of the best players in the country again this season. She's averaging 27 points, 8.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game, and she'll likely be the main reason why Iowa makes a deep run through the NCAA tournament.
Georgia may have knocked off No. 7 seed Baylor in the first round via a 66-54 victory, but it's going to have trouble stopping Clark and the Hawkeyes. The Lady Bulldogs are averaging only 67.1 points per game (which ranked 11th in the SEC), so they likely won't be able to keep up offensively, either.
A 12-point spread may seem like a decent amount, but Iowa should have no trouble clearing it. The Hawkeyes' victory may not be as lopsided as their first-round matchup, but they should win by at least 13 points with ease, mostly thanks to the play of Clark.
No. 3 Notre Dame (-6) vs. No. 11 Mississippi State
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The betting line for this second-round matchup may be underestimating Notre Dame, which cruised to an 82-56 win over No. 14-seeded Southern Utah in the first round. The Fighting Irish have now won eight of their past nine games, with their only loss coming against Louisville in the semifinals of the ACC tournament.
Even though Notre Dame no longer has All-American point guard Olivia Miles (who is out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury), it still has Sonia Citron in its backcourt. The sophomore guard is averaging 14.7 points per game and could be a difficult matchup for Mississippi State on Sunday.
The Bulldogs have already played two teams in the NCAA tourney, as they defeated Illinois in a First Four matchup before taking down No. 6-seeded Creighton in the opening round. So it's been an impressive start to March Madness for Mississippi State.
But the Fighting Irish's size and their ability to outrebound their opponents should prove the difference over the Bulldogs. It may be a competitive game for three quarters, but expect Notre Dame to pull away in the fourth to win by at least seven points.
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No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 7 Arizona (+8)
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If you're looking to bet on an underdog team that could cover the spread Sunday, look no further than seventh-seeded Arizona. While the Wildcats are unlikely to knock off second-seeded Maryland (which will be playing on its home court), they may only lose by seven or fewer points.
Arizona ended a three-game losing streak with its solid victory over West Virginia in the first round, which it won 75-62. Senior forward Cate Reese (who is averaging 13 points per game), scored 25 on 10-for-19 shooting against the Mountaineers.
The Terrapins haven't been blowing out some of the better competition they've played. They played some close contests down the stretch in the regular season.
The Wildcats have the potential to make this another one, and they should do, especially if they get another standout performance from Reese. It's worth taking a chance on them to cover the spread as eight-point underdogs.
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