Iowa vs South Carolina Prediction & Picks: Clark’s Crowning Moment or 38-0 for the Gamecocks?

Last year, Iowa ended South Carolina’s hopes of back-to-back national championships, only to see LSU celebrate a title in the end. Will Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes have their crowning moment today, or will the Gamecocks deny them to end the season with a perfect record?

Friday’s national semifinal between Iowa and UConn set ratings records, but those may last only until today, when the Hawkeyes (34-4) and Gamecocks (37-0) meet for the national championship at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland (3:00 pm ET, ABC).

In Friday’s first national semifinal, South Carolina made it 37 for 37 with a 78-59 win over NC State. After leading by one at halftime, they outscored the Wolfpack 29-6 in the third quarter to blow the game open.

Iowa had a much more difficult time of it with UConn, but after trailing at halftime, the Hawkeyes pulled ahead late in the third quarter and led by as many as nine in the fourth before the Huskies made a late rally. In the end, a controversial offensive foul call in the final seconds helped Iowa prevail 71-69.

In last year’s national semifinal, South Carolina was an 11.5-point favorite but fell 77-73 thanks to Clark’s heroics.

This time around, the Gamecocks are still considered firm favorites, but that isn’t stopping many from expecting and hoping for Clark to close out her stellar collegiate career with the one thing missing from her list of individual and team accolades.

Who will celebrate a championship in Cleveland? Read on for an Iowa vs South Carolina prediction, as well as betting picks for the matchup.

Iowa vs South Carolina 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 championship games.

Spread

• Iowa +6.5 (-105)
• South Carolina -6.5 (-115)

Over/Under

• Over 159.5 (-110)
• Under 159.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Iowa +255
• South Carolian -305

Looking for more college basketball picks? Our NCAA basketball picks page features moneyline, spread, and total (over/under) picks for Monday’s men’s national championship game between UConn and Purdue.

Iowa vs South Carolina Prediction & Picks

For over a half, the Huskies were able to keep the Hawkeyes held down offensively.

But after scoring only 37 points in the first 25:37, the Hawkeyes scored 34 in the final 14:23 to turn the game around.

For all of Clark’s explosive offensive exploits, the Hawkeyes have shown that they can win when she isn’t having her best day as a shooter.

Against UConn, she was 7 of 18 from the field, including 3 of 11 from three. But she dished out seven assists, and for the just the second time this season, someone other than Clark led the Hawkeyes in scoring. Hannah Stuelke led the way with 23 points (9 of 12 FG, 5 of 7 FT), and both Kate Martin (5 of 11 FG, 1 of 4 3PT) and Sydney Affolter (8 points, 3 of 7 FG, 1 of 1 3PT, 1 of 2 FT) chipped in with some key baskets.

Iowa vs South Carolina Players to Watch

Iowa

• Caitlin Clark: 31.7 PPG, 9.0 APG, 7.3 RPG, 1.8 SPG
• Hannah Stuelke: 14.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG
• Kate Martin: 13.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.3 APG

South Carolina

• Kamilla Cardoso: 14.3 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.5 BPG, 2.0 APG, 59.8% FG
• Te-Hina Paopao: 10.9 PPG, 3.7 APG, 2.7 RPG, 46.2% FG
• Ashlynn Watkins: 9.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 54.9% FG

In last year’s upset win, Clark was 15 of 31 from the field in a 41-point performance, though she was only 5 of 17 from three. In that game, Clark took 54.4% (31 of 57) of Iowa’s overall shots and 73.9% (17 of 23) of their threes.

Even if she takes a lot of shots today, it may need to be more of a team effort to succeed against South Carolina, who is an elite defensive team and held NC State to 32.3% (20 of 62) from the field and 26.1% (6 of 23) from three.

Defensively, Iowa did a great job in limiting Paige Bueckers (17 points, 7 of 17 FG, 3 of 8 3PT, zero free throws) and the Huskies. Today will bring a different challenge. The Gamecocks possess challenges from top to bottom in their rotation.

Nine players average 6.2 PPG or better. As a team, they shoot 49.7% from the field and 39.7% from three. Their top scorer, however, is Cardoso, whose only three—in her collegiate career—came in the SEC Tournament semifinals to beat Tennessee.

While Iowa has shown that they can compete with and beat the best even if Clark is having an off-day, South Carolina’s depth, defensive aptitude, and lessons learned from last year should drive them to a 38^th win this season and a second national championship in three seasons.

Iowa vs South Carolina Prediction: South Carolina to win

Iowa vs South Carolina Betting Picks: South Carolina -6.5 & Iowa/South Carolina under 159.5

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. Those odds are drawing a lot of attention 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 Iowa vs South Carolina women’s national championship 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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