The Colorado Buffaloes take on the Iowa Hawkeyes and Caitlin Clark. Check out our Women's March Madness odds series for our Colorado Iowa prediction and pick. Find how to watch Colorado Iowa.
The Caitlin Clark show has left Iowa City, and it moves to Albany for the Sweet 16 round of the Women's NCAA Tournament. This is a fascinating game for a lot of reasons, and one of the chief reasons is that Iowa actually did not play its best basketball at home over the past weekend. The emotions connected to Caitlin Clark's final home games as an Iowa Hawkeye were intense, and they might have served as a real distraction. Entering the Sweet 16, Iowa won't have a home crowd on hand, but it also won't have the emotions of home-court games to deal with. Now it's just about chasing a championship without having to dwell on the moment. Everyone knew Monday night against West Virginia would be Caitlin Clark's last home game, win or lose. Now it's all about making sure Caitlin Clark's last Iowa game doesn't occur until Sunday, April 7 in Cleveland for the national championship.
Iowa might have seen on Friday that No. 1 South Carolina did not look like a team which is ready to win the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks remained alive in the tournament by beating Indiana, but they sure didn't look impressive. That narrow win for South Carolina is both a reminder to Iowa of what happens when a No. 1 seed doesn't play with complete focus, and also a message that this tournament is more open than many people might have previously thought. If Iowa can get back to the national title game, South Carolina could be waiting. Iowa beat the Gamecocks last year. This game against Colorado is one of a series of steps the Hawkeyes have to take in order to earn their big opportunity in early April.
Here are the Colorado-Iowa Women's March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Women's March Madness Odds: Colorado-Iowa Odds
Colorado Buffaloes: +7.5 (-118)
Iowa Hawkeyes: -7.5 (-104)
Over: 160.5 (-110)
Under: 160.5 (-110)
How To Watch Colorado vs Iowa
Time: 3:30 pm ET / 12:30 pm PT
TV: ABC
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Colorado Could Cover the Spread
Colorado and Iowa are meeting in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season. Last year, Colorado was a No. 6 seed and Iowa was a No. 2 seed. The Buffaloes weren't expected to beat Iowa, but that is because they weren't an elite team. This year, Colorado's No. 5 seed suggests the Buffs still aren't elite, but it's worth noting that in January, Colorado was tied with Stanford atop the Pac-12 and was projected to be a No. 1 seed. This team had a terrible month of February but has bounced back in March and played good ball. If we see the Colorado team which beat Kansas State on the road a few days ago, that team will at least give Iowa a game. It might even win. The spread is large enough that a good Colorado performance should be able to cover.
Why Iowa Could Cover the Spread
This game is Caitlin Clark's moment to show that she can put her foot down and silence a talented opponent. Clark was not at her best, and neither was Iowa, in the win over West Virginia this past Monday. Clark was 8 of 22 from the field, 5 of 14 on 3-pointers. The Hawkeyes and Clark benefited from a lot of free throws. The team attempted 30. Clark attempted 12 and made 11. Clark can shoot better, and the Iowa offense can function a lot better. Clark is too good to continue to struggle. Expect a more efficient game against her. Keep in mind that having faced Colorado last year in the Sweet 16, Iowa will not be caught off guard by Colorado's tactics or adjustments. This is a familiar matchup. Clark can study how to be very effective. That will enable Iowa to win comfortably.
Final Colorado-Iowa Prediction & Pick
The Hawkeyes have not been especially sharp. Colorado was a really good team in January and might be getting back to being a top-tier team. Take Colorado.
Final Colorado-Iowa Prediction & Pick: Colorado +7.5 (-118)
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