UConn vs. USC Prediction: Can Paige Bueckers Dominate Banged-Up Trojans in Women's Elite Eight?
The UConn Huskies will take on the USC Trojans as a heavy favorite in the Elite Eight tonight. Can Paige Bueckers and the Huskies roll by double digits in this Women's NCAA Tournament battle against the Trojans in the absence of JuJu Watkins? Jason Radowitz isn't expecting a close game in his UConn vs. USC prediction for Monday night's Women's March Madness clash.
Jason Radowitz - March 31, 2025, 1:50 PM EDT
5 minUConn vs. USC Prediction: Can Paige Bueckers Dominate Banged-Up Trojans in Women's Elite Eight?
When the Women's NCAA Tournament bracket came out, everyone circled a potential matchup between the UConn Huskies and USC Trojans.
It meant USC's JuJu Watkins against UConn's Paige Bueckers in an Elite Eight showdown for a Final Four appearance.
However, Watkins tore her ACL earlier in the NCAA Tournament, and now the UConn Huskies are massive favorites, thanks to the absence of Watkins.
Watkins will recover and be back. Her time will come. As a sophomore, she was the most dominant women's college basketball player this season, scoring 23.9 points per game.
Ultimately, Bueckers knows the comeback story all too well, as she also suffered season-ending injuries during her college career.
That said, USC still has Kiki Iriafen, the senior forward who has added 18.2 points per game. However, Iriafen scored only seven points in 38 minutes on 3-for-13 against Kansas State in a tight Sweet 16 game. The Trojans will need a lot more from her if they want to get past the Huskies in tonight's Elite Eight.
Here are our picks, predictions, and odds for tonight's game between the UConn Huskies vs. USC Trojans.
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UConn Huskies vs. USC Trojans Odds
- Moneyline: UConn -1400, USC +750
- Spread: UConn -14.5 (-115), USC +14.5 (-105)
- Total: Over 138.5 (-105), Under 169.5 (-115)
UConn Huskies vs. USC Trojans Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Monday, March 31, 2025
- Game Time: 9:00 PM ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN
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UConn vs. USC Prediction
The UConn Husies are coming off an 82-59 Sweet 16 win over the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners went 27-8 on the season but fell to the Huskies by 23 points. Paige Buckers scored 40 points and shot 16-for-27 from the field. She legitimately scored 74 points in her last two games while playing 64 minutes.
Bueckers leads women's college basketball in NCAA win shares. Her teammate, Sarah Strong, is second on the list. Strong has averaged nearly 16 points per game and has an even higher PER than Bueckers. Those two have been terrific for the Huskies all season long.
On the other hand, the Trojans are missing their near-24-point scorer.
They've shot a 44.3% field goal percentage throughout the season. However, without Watkins, USC shot just 38.5% in their win over the Kansas State Wildcats. UConn has limited teams to 34.7% from the field this season and will likely get closer to that number against a Watkins-less Trojans team.
That's especially true if Iriafen struggles in this game as well.
Let's back the UConn Huskies to cover the 14.5-point spread.
UConn Huskies vs. USC Trojans Pick
- Pick: UConn -14.5 (-115) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best price on UConn vs. USC Women's Elite Eight odds
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