NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament 2022: Odds, Picks for Sweet 16 Bracket
It's no surprise that all four No. 1 seeds have reached the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA women's basketball tournament, or that numerous No. 2 and No. 3 seeds have made it this far. The event has traditionally been dominated by the top teams in the country.
However, there are a few surprise schools still in the bracket. Creighton and South Dakota have each reached the Sweet 16 as No. 10 seeds, while No. 6 seed Ohio State is also still alive. Could one or more of these teams now make it to the Elite Eight?
We'll find out over the next two days, as the women's tourney will resume with four Sweet 16 matchups on Friday, followed by four more on Saturday. The teams that reach the Elite Eight will then play on Sunday or Monday with berths in the Final Four on the line.
Here's a look at the full Sweet 16 schedule, along with odds and picks for each game.
Sweet 16 Schedule, Odds, Picks
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Friday, March 25
No. 1 South Carolina (-11) vs. No. 5 North Carolina, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
No. 2 Texas (-4.5) vs. No. 6 Ohio State, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
No. 1 Stanford (-7) vs. No. 4 Maryland, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
No. 3 Iowa State (-5.5) vs. No. 10 Creighton, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Saturday, March 26
No. 1 NC State (-8.5) vs. No. 5 Notre Dame, 11:30 a.m. ET, ESPN
No. 2 UConn (-8.5) vs. No. 3 Indiana, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN
No. 1 Louisville (-7.5) vs. No. 4 Tennessee, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN2
No. 3 Michigan (-4) vs. No. 10 South Dakota, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook. Picks in bold against the spread.
UConn Will Get a Statement Win over Indiana
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As a No. 2 seed and one of the top teams in the country all season, UConn was expected to have a strong showing in the NCAA women's tournament. Head coach Geno Auriemma knows how to lead runs to the national championship, and the Huskies were picked by many as a top title contender this year.
UConn hasn't been too dominant thus far, though. It rolled to an 83-38 win over No. 15 seed Mercer, as expected, but the Huskies played a close game against No. 7 seed UCF before pulling out a 52-47 victory.
In the Sweet 16, UConn will face a solid opponent in No. 3 Indiana. But if the Huskies are going to solidify themselves among the title favorites before facing much tougher competition in the later rounds, they may need a convincing victory over the Hoosiers to prove they can hang with the No. 1 seeds.
That shouldn't be an issue. Sophomore guard Paige Bueckers is getting more court time as she continues to get healthier following knee surgery, and that will help the Huskies get rolling even more down the stretch.
Bet on UConn to cover the 8.5-point spread and win handily.
NC State Could Be First No. 1 Seed to Fall
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Eventually, at least three of the No. 1 seeds in this year's tournament are going to lose. But could one or more get knocked off before the Final Four?
If any of the quartet lose in the Sweet 16 round, it's most likely to be NC State. The Wolfpack are taking on No. 5 seed Notre Dame, which is coming off an impressive 108-64 victory over No. 4 Oklahoma in the second round. The Fighting Irish are rolling offensively, as they previously tallied 89 points in their first-round win over No. 12 UMass.
Notre Dame has faced tougher competition in the tourney than NC State, and it's impressed while doing so. The Fighting Irish shot 53.9 percent from the field in the second round, with three players scoring at least 20 points, including senior guard Dara Mabrey (29).
If Notre Dame keeps shooting this well, it will be tough to beat, even for an opponent as strong as NC State. So don't be surprised if the Fighting Irish pull off the upset, and they should at least cover the 8.5-point spread they're facing as underdogs.
It's going to be a much more competitive game than that.
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South Dakota Will Keep Surprise Run Going
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It's not common to see a double-digit seed power through the NCAA women's tournament, especially not in the fashion South Dakota has done so. The No. 10 seed Coyotes have not only defeated two solid teams, but they have also notched a pair of convincing victories.
In the first round, South Dakota beat No. 7 Ole Miss 75-61, and while that was a bit unexpected, it wasn't a completely surprising result. But few could have predicted the Coyotes would record a 61-47 win against No. 2 seed Baylor in a game in which they led by as many as 16 points and never trailed.
South Dakota senior center Hannah Sjerven has been difficult for opponents to stop, as she scored 20 points on 7-for-7 shooting against Ole Miss and then tallied 16 more points against Baylor. And she could have another strong showing in the Coyotes' Sweet 16 matchup against No. 3 seed Michigan.
Considering South Dakota beat Baylor with such ease, it may be capable of defeating the Wolverines as well. At the least, the Coyotes shouldn't lose by more than three points, making them a strong underdog to bet on this weekend.
It's quite possible South Dakota's surprise run could include an Elite Eight appearance.
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