For the second year in a row, the LSU women’s basketball team is back in the Sweet 16. This time, the No. 3-seeded Tigers draw No. 2-seeded UCLA in a matchup in Albany on Saturday afternoon with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.
LSU has beaten both Rice and Middle Tennessee to get here despite having some struggles in both games. The Bruins, meanwhile, dominated Cal Baptist in their opener before struggling a bit in a four-point win over Creighton in the second round.
The winner of Saturday’s game will face the winner of top-seeded Iowa and No. 5-seeded Colorado in the Elite Eight on Monday. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the Tigers’ Sweet 16 matchup, including the latest odds from BetMGM.
| Team | Spread | Total — O/U | Money Line |
| LSU | -3.5 -105 |
O 144.5 -115 |
-165 |
| UCLA | +3.5 -115 |
U 144.5 -105 |
+140 |
LSU is healthy entering this game.
LSU
UCLA
- Points – C Lauren Betts (14.9 PPG)
- Rebounds – C Lauren Betts (9.0 RPG)
- Assists – G Kiki Rice (4.5 APG)
- Steals – G Charisma Osborne (1.6 SPG)
- Blocks – C Lauren Betts (2.0 BPG)
Per an LSU release:
“We’re not just focusing on Lauren Betts and their post play,” Coach Kim Mulkey said. “She averages, I think, nine shots a game. Somebody has got to be shooting those other shots. That answers your question. They’re good at all positions. They have depth coming off the bench, and probably even more productive depth than we have had of late.”
Despite being the seed underdog here, LSU is actually the favorite to return to the Elite Eight over the Bruins. This will be by far the toughest matchup of the tournament so far for the Tigers and likely the toughest matchup all season outside of the two games against South Carolina. It’s going to be tough, especially with a dominant center like Lauren Betts. But I do think the Tigers prevail and return to the Elite Eight.
Prediction: LSU 72, UCLA 68
Best Bet: LSU (-3.5), Under (144.5)
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