Baylor vs USC Women’s Sweet Sixteen Prediction & Best Bets: Will the Trojans Advance in Portland?

In 1994, Friends hit television screens, The Lion King was a box-office smash, and Yahoo and Amazon were founded. Also, the USC women’s basketball team made its most recent Elite Eight, where they lost to Louisiana Tech. That drought will come to an end if the Trojans can see off Baylor in today’s Sweet Sixteen showdown in Portland (5:30 pm ET, ESPN).

USC (28-5), the #1 seed in the Portland 3 regional, are in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since that same year after handily defeating #16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and #8 Kansas in the first two rounds.

The reward is a matchup with the fifth-seeded Bears (26-7), who defeated #12 Vanderbilt (80-63) and #4 Virginia Tech (75-72) in Blacksburg, Virginia to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2021.

The Bears didn’t have to contend with Virginia Tech star Elizabeth Kitley, who tore her ACL in the Hokies’ regular season finale at Virginia.

But they will have to deal with USC’s JuJu Watkins, who had 28 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and two steals in the Trojans’ second-round win over Kansas.

Baylor vs USC Odds

Odds are via BetOnline, a longtime fixture in the sports betting industry. Check out our BetOnline sportsbook review, then grab yourself a nice sign-up bonus to bet on the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments.

Spread

• Baylor +3 (-105)
• USC -3 (-115)

Over/Under

• Over 133.5 (-110)
• Under 133.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Baylor +150
• USC -170

Looking for more college basketball picks? Our NCAA basketball picks page features moneyline, spread, and total (over/under) picks for today’s men’s Elite Eight games.

Baylor vs USC Betting Analysis

While Watkins is the drink, the straw that stirs the drink, and the cup the drink is in, even the biggest stars need support.

For USC, that main support is Harvard transfer McKenzie Forbes, who played under now-Trojans head coach Lindsey Gottlieb as a freshman at Cal in the 2018-19 season.

In her first 30 games this season, Forbes had four 20-point games. But she has picked the best possible time to unlock another gear. Here are her numbers in her last three games:

• Stanford (Pac-12 Tournament championship game): 26 points (11 of 21 FG, 4 of 8 3PT), five rebounds, three steals, two assists
• Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (NCAA Tournament first round): 23 points (9 of 14 FG, 3 of 7 3PT, 2 of 2 FT), four assists, three steals, two rebounds
• Kansas (NCAA Tournament second round): 20 points (6 of 19 FG, 6 of 13 3PT, 2 of 2 FT), three rebounds, three assist, two blocks

Also, Kayla Padilla, another Ivy League transfer (from Penn), has been a key contributor in the last three games, making three threes (9 of 19, 44.4%) in each contest.

Last but certainly not least, Rayah Marshall has had five double-doubles in her last seven games, and she filled up the stat sheet against Kansas, contributing nine points, four rebounds, four steals, and two blocks.

As with Caitlin Clark and Iowa, much will come down to what Watkins does. But that kind of support can make a massive difference in a close contest or if the superstar is being contained, and if Forbes, Padilla, and Marshall are all chipping in, it makes Watkins’ job easier and Baylor’s job harder.

Baylor vs USC Players to Watch

Baylor

• Sarah Andrews: 11.3 PPG, 3.9 APG, 2.4 RPG
• Darianna Littlepage-Buggs: 10.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.5 APG

USC

• JuJu Watkins: 26.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.4 SPG, 1.6 BPG
• McKenzie Forbes: 14.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 3.1 RPG

Those are problems that the Bears didn’t have to deal with against Virginia Tech. The Hokies put up a real fight but wasn’t the same team without Kitley (22.8 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 2.1 BPG).

That certainly doesn’t devalue what the Bears have done to reach the Sweet Sixteen. They were eliminated in the second round in each of coach Nicki Collen’s first two seasons and are now back in a once-familiar spot.

But I think this is where the road will end for Baylor. An Elite Eight matchup with UConn could be where the road ends for USC this season, but they will be moving on to Monday’s regional final in Portland.

Baylor vs USC Prediction: USC to win

Baylor vs USC Picks: USC -3.5 & Baylor/USC over 133.5

More March Madness Betting Information

Where Can You Bet on March Madness This Year?

Each year, millions upon of millions of March Madness bets are placed at the top online sports betting sites.

Most March Madness betting takes place around and at tournament time, which is from mid-March to early April. But throughout the year, you can bet on who you think will win the college basketball national championship.

Along with men’s college basketball odds, most good sportsbooks now carry women’s college basketball national championship odds, which are drawing a lot of attention this season with the likes of South Carolina, Iowa, and LSU vying to cut down the nets in Cleveland, Ohio on April 7.

Numerous sportsbooks are good for March Madness betting, but in addition to BetOnline, here are some of the books that we have reviewed and highly recommend:

• BetDSI (Review)
• BetUS (Review)
• Bovada (Review)
• MyBookie (Review)

If you are unfamiliar with any of the above sites, check out our sportsbook reviews to learn more about them. Speaking of offers, keep an eye on the latest sportsbook offers from these books and others as the countdown to the opening tip of March Madness continues. That way, you will not miss out on any special sports betting promos and bonuses to pad your bankroll for March Madness betting.

Other March Madness Content at Betting News

If you like this Baylor vs USC women’s basketball betting breakdown and would like to check out our other March Madness content, our March Madness guide is where you can find it all in one tidy place. But here’s a rundown of some of what we have put together to help you with your NCAA Tournament betting this year.

We’re also covering the 2024 NIT, so check out that content as well.

• Men’s March Madness Futures Odds
• Women’s March Madness Futures Odds
• 2024 Men’s Final Four Odds
• Six Men’s March Madness Sleepers for 2024
• Best March Madness Betting Tips & Strategies
• Where to Find the Best March Madness Betting Picks
• Best March Madness Betting Sites for This Year
• This Year’s Best March Madness Bracket Challenges
• Betting News Bracket Mania (Our FREE March Madness Bracket Challenge!)

Interested in Learning More About Betting on March Madness & NCAA Basketball?

If you are interested in learning more about betting on men’s or women’s NCAA basketball, check out our college basketball betting guide. It covers the basics of wagering on March Madness, the Mountain West, the MAAC, McNeese State, and beyond.

• College Basketball Betting Guide: How to Bet on NCAA Basketball in 2024

Also, follow Betting News on X/Twitter, Twitch, and TikTok to get more March Madness and NCAA basketball insight from myself and the rest of our team. We’re cooking up a lot of great NCAA Tournament content for both the men’s and women’s tournaments, so hit those links so you don’t miss out on any of it.

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