Oddsmakers have set the lines for the NCAA Women’s Final Four, which tips off on Friday night from Dallas, Texas. LSU vs. Virginia Tech gets the Final Four festivities started as the first national semifinal to be played on the evening. Unsurprisingly, the teams rate out almost evenly.
The Tigers are 1.5-point favorites over the Hokies at FanDuel Sportsbook. LSU is -122 on the money line, implying a 54.95% chance of winning — when you consider the house’s rake, that means the game is considered almost a coin flip.
The game’s over/under — the line set for the combined number of points scored by both teams — is 133.5. None of LSU’s first four NCAA tournament games has had a higher total than 129, which came in a 66-63 win over Utah in the Sweet 16.
LSU advanced to the program’s first Final Four since 2008 with a 54-42 win over Miami in the regional final on Sunday. The Tigers have lost the national semifinal in all three of their previous Final Four appearances and hope to buck that trend in coach Kim Mulkey’s second season with the school.
As for Virginia Tech, this is the school’s first trip to the Final Four in program history. The Hokies had previously never made it past the Sweet 16 (only making it that far previously in 1999). Suffice it to say this is the more inexperienced side of the bracket with two experienced tournament teams playing in the nightcap.
It’s no surprise the point spread for the other national semifinal isn’t nearly so tight.
South Carolina, the reigning champion and unbeaten this season, is an 11.5-point favorite over Iowa. The money line is set at -850, implying that the Gamecocks have an 89.47% chance of winning.
The game’s over/under is much higher than that of LSU-Virginia Tech. This one is set at 148.5, as Iowa star Caitlyn Clark — one of the best players in the entire country — will attempt to lift her team over a historically good South Carolina squad.
South Carolina is the heavy national title favorite with -310 odds at FanDuel. LSU is the second favorite at a +600 price, followed by Iowa (+900) and Virginia Tech (+1000).
