The Presbyterian Blue Hose take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. Check out our Women's March Madness odds series for our Presbyterian South Carolina prediction and pick. Find how to watch Presbyterian South Carolina.
The Presbyterian Blue Hose already made history simply by reaching this 2024 Women's NCAA Tournament. The Blue Hose had never gone to the Big Dance before. This was their first trip to March Madness. It would have been easy enough and understandable enough for the team to simply soak in the experience and enjoy the reality of being in the NCAA Tournament. However, Presbyterian was determined to do more than take in the sights and sounds. The Blue Hose were 8.5-point underdogs (+280 money line) against Sacred Heart in the 16-seed First Four game played on Wednesday evening in Columbia, South Carolina. They looked past that and outplayed favored Sacred Heart the whole game. Presbyterian led for the vast majority of the game and held on at the end for a seven-point win, 49-42. Presbyterian is located in the state of South Carolina, in the town of Clinton, S.C. This is therefore an in-state game against the team favored to win the 2024 Women's NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina comes in as the clear-cut favorite to win March Madness this year. Coach Dawn Staley watched her South Carolina team lose to Iowa in last year's Women's Final Four national semifinal round. The Gamecocks could not hit perimeter shots. That was their downfall. South Carolina made sure to upgrade its 3-point shooting this season. The Gamecocks have done that, and as a result, they are a more balanced team than last year's group even though they might not have a true superstar player on the roster. It is notable, however, that Kamilla Cardoso, one of South Carolina's best players, will not be able to play in this game due to a suspension stemming from her role in a fight against LSU in the SEC Tournament final. This game will give South Carolina a chance to play other players and give them reps which might carry meaning later in the tournament.
Here are the Presbyterian-South Carolina Women's March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Women's March Madness Odds: Presbyterian-South Carolina Odds
Presbyterian Blue Hose: +53.5 (-114)
South Carolina Gamecocks: -53.5 (-114)
How To Watch Presbyterian vs South Carolina
Time: 2:00 pm ET / 11:00 am PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Presbyterian Could Cover the Spread
The question of which team will cover the spread really has nothing to do with which team is better, because of course South Carolina is far better and will win the game very comfortably. The real question is whether South Carolina's backups, with Cardoso out of the game, will be able to play at a really high level and keep pushing the margin of victory upward in the fourth quarter. That's the real key from a betting perspective. South Carolina should definitely lead by at least 35 to 40 points midway through the game. The intrigue from a betting standpoint will emerge late in the third quarter and early in the fourth. Kamilla Cardoso being out raises the possibility that her backups won't be as efficient, and that Presbyterian can keep the final margin under 54 points, which is what it needs to cover.
Why South Carolina Could Cover the Spread
This game is a real opportunity for the backups to get extended minutes before the later rounds of the Women's NCAA Tournament. Expect South Carolina's backups to be hungry and motivated, and to play really well in the fourth quarter to give South Carolina a 60-point win.
Final Presbyterian-South Carolina Prediction & Pick
The Gamecocks' backups will play well. Take South Carolina.
Final Presbyterian-South Carolina Prediction & Pick: South Carolina -53.5
Follow Us
Subscribe