March Madness betting: South Carolina, UConn favorites to win NCAA women's tournament

South Carolina, the No. 1 ranked team throughout the 2021-22 season, is the betting favorite to win the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

Though Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks were upset in the SEC tournament final by Kentucky, they earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and have the best odds (+180) to win it at BetMGM.

South Carolina has reached four Final Fours during Staley’s tenure as head coach, including last season, but has only won the national title once (in 2017).

[Join Tourney Pick'Em $25K Best Bracket Contest | Women's Bracket Challenge]

In each of those Final Four appearances for South Carolina under Staley, UConn has been there as well. The Huskies have won a remarkable 11 national titles, including four straight from 2013 to 2016. However, they have lost in the Final Four in every season since.

UConn dealt with a bunch of injuries, particularly to star Paige Bueckers, and lost five games this season, its most since 2012. The Huskies are a No. 2 seed in this year’s tournament, but their history of success — and Bueckers’ return to the court — has them near the top of the odds board.

UConn is listed at +400 to win it all, ahead of the three other tournament No. 1 seeds — Stanford (+450), NC State (+900) and Louisville (+1400).

Stanford is the defending national champion and has everyone back from that team except Kiana Williams, who was a second-round pick in the WNBA draft. NC State is in the same region as UConn, a region which will be decided in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Louisville, meanwhile, is a strong defensive group that gives up only 55 points per game.

Next on the odds board are Baylor at +2000, Michigan at +2500 and Arizona and Maryland both at +3300. Texas, which enters the tournament having won 11 straight games, is listed at +4000 alongside LSU, Iowa State, Indiana and Tennessee.

Iowa, which has the nation’s leading scorer in Caitlin Clark (27.4 ppg), is listed at +5000. The Hawkeyes, coming off a Big Ten tournament title, are the No. 2 seed in the Greensboro region. In addition to Iowa, North Carolina, Oregon and BYU also have +5000 odds.

NCAA women’s tournament odds via BetMGM

• South Carolina: +180

• UConn: +400

• Stanford: +450

• NC State: +900

• Louisville: +1400

• Baylor: +2000

• Michigan: +2500

• Arizona: +3300

• Maryland: +3300

• Texas: +4000

• LSU: +4000

• Iowa State: +4000

• Indiana: +4000

• Tennessee: +4000

• Iowa: +5000

• North Carolina: +5000

• Oregon: +5000

• BYU: +5000

• Kentucky: +8000

• Ohio State: +8000

• Oklahoma: +10000

• Notre Dame: +10000

• Georgia: +12500

• Virginia Tech: +15000

• Georgia Tech: +15000

• Ole Miss: +20000

• UCF: +20000

• Kansas: +20000

• Kansas State: +20000

• Arkansas: +20000

• Florida: +20000

• Missouri State: +20000

• Princeton: +20000