The South Carolina Gamecocks posted a dominant 80-50 victory against Creighton on Sunday to earn their second consecutive trip to the Final Four of the Women's NCAA Tournament and fourth in seven years. South Carolina (33-2) attempts to secure a spot in the championship game when it meets the Louisville Cardinals (29-4) on Friday in a battle of No. 1 seeds in the Final Four of the 2022 Women's NCAA Tournament at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Gamecocks, who won their only title in 2017, lost to Stanford in last year's Final Four. Louisville last appeared in the Final Four in 2018, when it was defeated by Mississippi State in overtime.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Gamecocks are eight-point favorites in the latest South Carolina vs. Louisville odds from Caesars Sportsbook for the Women's NCAA Tournament 2022, and the over-under for total points scored is set at 120. Before locking in any Louisville vs. South Carolina picks, be sure to check out the women's college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine experts Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai.
Barzilai is a Ph.D. from Stanford who served as Director of Basketball Analytics for the Philadelphia 76ers. Five years ago, he founded HerHoopStats.com – a groundbreaking website that unlocks insights about the women's game. Wetzel, the site's lead betting writer, incorporates his mathematical background and strong knowledge of women's NCAA hoops to turn the site's prediction model into picks.
Barzilai and Wetzel got off to a fast start with SportsLine as they went 13-7 on their first 20 picks. They went 590-430 overall (+127.40 units, +13.6 percent) in the 2021-22 women's college basketball regular season.
Now, they've zeroed in on South Carolina vs. Louisville and just locked in their picks and 2022 Women's NCAA Tournament predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the women's college basketball odds and betting lines for Louisville vs. South Carolina:
- South Carolina vs. Louisville spread: Gamecocks -8
- South Carolina vs. Louisville over-under: 119 points
- South Carolina vs. Louisville money line: Gamecocks -420, Cardinals +320
- SC: The Gamecocks have scored at least 55 points in all but one of their 35 games this season
- LOU: The Cardinals are averaging 72.2 points this campaign
Why South Carolina can cover
Aliyah Boston leads the Gamecocks with averages of 16.8 points and 12.2 rebounds, and she has maintained her high level of play in the Tournament. The junior forward, who scored a game-high 19 points against Creighton in the Elite Eight victory, is producing 16.8 points and 14.3 boards per game in the "Big Dance." Boston had her best outing of 2021-22 in South Carolina's Sweet 16 triumph over North Carolina, recording 28 points and a season-high 22 rebounds.
The Gamecocks received season-best performances from a pair of players in their win against the Bluejays on Monday. Senior forward Victaria Saxton, who is averaging 5.7 points and 5.9 boards, registered her first double-double of the campaign with 11 and 11. Meanwhile, junior guard Brea Beal, who is scoring 4.9 points per contest, recorded 12 -- her highest total since producing a career-best 22 on Jan. 18, 2021 against Arkansas.
Why Louisville can cover
Hailey Van Lith was limited to eight points in the Cardinals' loss to Miami in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament but has been an offensive force in the Women's NCAA Tournament. The sophomore guard has scored at least 20 points in each of Louisville's four contests, including a team-high 22 against Michigan in the Elite Eight. Van Lith leads the Cardinals with an average of 14.5 points.
Chelsie Hall more than doubled her season average of seven points in the victory against the Wolverines, recording 15 as she made three of her four attempts from beyond the arc. The senior guard matched the season high she set on Dec. 12 versus Kentucky. Senior forward Emily Engstler is the Cardinals' top rebounder with an average of 9.4 and set her season high with 16 on Monday.
How to make South Carolina vs. Louisville picks
Wetzel and Barzilai are leaning over on the point total. They also have found a crucial X-factor they believe makes one side of the South Carolina vs. Louisville spread a must-back. You can get their pick only at SportsLine.
So who wins Louisville vs. South Carolina? And what crucial X-factor makes one side a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the experts who are an outstanding 590-430 on their women's college basketball picks, and find out.
