Baylor vs USC Women's March Madness prediction, odds, pick, how to watch — 3/30/2024

30/03/2024 07:03

The Baylor Bears take on the USC Trojans. Check out our Women’s March Madness odds series for our Baylor USC prediction and pick. Find how to watch Baylor USC.

The USC Trojans advanced to the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years. You would have to go back to 1994 to identify the last time the Trojans played into the second weekend of March Madness. It’s a huge achievement for a program on the rise, and which is poised to be even better in the future. However, as big as the achievement is — it is special, no doubt about it — USC has not looked like a dominant team thus far in the Big Dance. The Trojans led Kansas by only one point with under 1:30 left in the third quarter of their second-round game this past Monday. They struggled with turnovers against Kansas’s ball pressure. They did make 3-pointers, which helped them a lot, but they weren’t especially efficient on offense and allowed Kansas to hang around. The Trojans played better in the fourth quarter and pulled away for a win which was not especially dramatic at the very end, but the overall performance left plenty to be desired. USC enters this game knowing it can play a lot better, which invites the question of whether USC is about to peak at exactly the right time or is going through some struggles which could point to trouble against fifth-seeded Baylor.

The Bears just won a true road game at Virginia Tech. The Baylor win was marked by the absence of Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech’s best player. That certainly played a role in helping Baylor advance, but then again, Baylor was playing a road game, which is hugely difficult to win in March or at any other point in the season. The Bears are good. They are tough. They have to be breathing a lot of confidence heading into this game against a USC side which has not been in top gear in its past two games.

Here are the Baylor-USC Women’s March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

Women’s March Madness Odds: Baylor-USC Odds

Baylor Bears: +3.5 (-110)

USC Trojans: -3.5 (-110)

Over: 134.5 (-112)

Under: 134.5 (-108)

How To Watch Baylor vs USC

Time: 5:30 pm ET / 2:30 pm PT

TV: ESPN

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Baylor Could Cover the Spread

The USC Trojans are a really good team, but if they play Baylor the way they played Kansas, they’re probably going to lose. USC has been giving up too many turnovers. The Trojans have not protected the ball at the level they need to in order to beat higher-level teams in the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans defeated a No. 16 seed and a No. 8 seed on their home floor in March Madness. Now they play a No. 5 seed on a neutral court in Portland. USC will have to play significantly better in this game to advance. The Trojans’ recent performances don’t inspire the confidence they will actually do that.

Why USC Could Cover the Spread

The Trojans can struggle on offense, but they still play great defense. JuJu Watkins is mostly known for her scoring prowess, but even when her shots aren’t falling, she plays terrific defense and helps her team out at that end of the court. McKenzie Forbes and Kayla Padilla regularly play strong defense even when their shots aren’t falling. That’s a strength of USC: While the offense can become a liability, the defense very rarely struggles. It enables USC to win ugly and difficult games. This game could easily turn difficult, but USC knows how to grind out ugly wins when needed.

Final Baylor-USC Prediction & Pick

This is an ideal game in which to refrain from a pregame bet. Instead watch a quarter or two and make a midgame play based on what you see.

Final Baylor-USC Prediction & Pick: USC -3.5

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