Will Iowa Triumph or Will South Carolina Maintain Perfection in the National Championship Showdown?

Key Takeaways:

• Iowa and South Carolina face off in a highly anticipated national championship match.
• South Carolina aims to cap an undefeated season, while Iowa seeks its first title led by star Caitlin Clark.
• The matchup promises a clash of styles, with Iowa's offensive prowess against South Carolina's defensive dominance.

Last year, Iowa ended South Carolina’s hopes of back-to-back national championships, only to see LSU celebrate a title in the end. Will Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes have their crowning moment today, or will the Gamecocks deny them to end the season with a perfect record?

Friday’s national semifinal between Iowa and UConn set ratings records, but those may last only until today, when the Hawkeyes (34-4) and Gamecocks (37-0) meet for the national championship at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland (3:00 pm ET, ABC).

In Friday’s first national semifinal, South Carolina made it 37 for 37 with a 78-59 win over NC State. After leading by one at halftime, they outscored the Wolfpack 29-6 in the third quarter to blow the game open.

Iowa had a much more difficult time of it with UConn, but after trailing at halftime, the Hawkeyes pulled ahead late in the third quarter and led by as many as nine in the fourth before the Huskies made a late rally. In the end, a controversial offensive foul call in the final seconds helped Iowa prevail 71-69.

In last year’s national semifinal, South Carolina was an 11.5-point favorite but fell 77-73 thanks to Clark’s heroics.

This time around, the Gamecocks are still considered firm favorites, but that isn’t stopping many from expecting and hoping for Clark to close out her stellar collegiate career with the one thing missing from her list of individual and team accolades.

Who will celebrate a championship in Cleveland? The matchup between Iowa and South Carolina is not just a game; it's a story of resilience, talent, and the pursuit of excellence.

Odds are via BetOnline, a trusted name in the sports betting industry. For those looking for more college basketball picks, our NCAA basketball picks page features a variety of betting options for the men’s national championship game between UConn and Purdue.

For over a half, the Huskies were able to keep the Hawkeyes held down offensively. But after scoring only 37 points in the first 25:37, the Hawkeyes scored 34 in the final 14:23 to turn the game around.

For all of Clark’s explosive offensive exploits, the Hawkeyes have shown that they can win when she isn’t having her best day as a shooter. Against UConn, she was 7 of 18 from the field, including 3 of 11 from three. But she dished out seven assists, and for the just the second time this season, someone other than Clark led the Hawkeyes in scoring.

Even if she takes a lot of shots today, it may need to be more of a team effort to succeed against South Carolina, who is an elite defensive team. Defensively, Iowa did a great job in limiting Paige Bueckers and the Huskies. Today will bring a different challenge. The Gamecocks possess challenges from top to bottom in their rotation.

South Carolina’s depth, defensive aptitude, and lessons learned from last year should drive them to a 38th win this season and a second national championship in three seasons.

Where Can You Bet on March Madness This Year? Each year, millions of March Madness bets are placed at the top online sports betting sites. Along with men’s college basketball odds, most good sportsbooks now carry women’s college basketball national championship odds. Those odds are drawing a lot of attention with the likes of South Carolina, Iowa, and LSU vying to cut down the nets in Cleveland, Ohio on April 7.

If you are interested in learning more about betting on men’s or women’s NCAA basketball, check out our college basketball betting guide. It covers the basics of wagering on March Madness and beyond.

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