March Madness Women’s First Round: Odds, Picks, Best Bets for Saturday

The first day of the NCAA Women's Tournament is in the books, and now we move on to Day Two of the 2024 March Madness Women's First Round with all of the updated odds, picks and best bets that you need for Saturday.

I’ll have picks and bets for every game of the 2024 women's tournament here on Action Network, and for some games that I feel stronger about, I’ll go deeper in separate articles.

Let’s go in order of tip-off as we preview women's March Madness with the updated odds, picks and bets for every game of the first round.

Green Bay is no slouch, and the Lady Vols know they will have to take them seriously in this matchup. With wins over Creighton and Washington State, the Phoenix are confident they can play with anyone. I think they will do their best to slow the game down and not let Tennessee’s athleticism dictate the game.

UConn at home with a team whose last game against a Power 5 school was a blowout loss to Texas by 50. Lay the big number with the Huskies.

Sure, Fairfield is the only team in the country with one loss, but the best team they played all season was Vanderbilt. I’m betting on Mackenzie Holmes being healthy and Fairfield getting a huge "welcome to the big leagues" moment in Round 1.

Pretty even matchup that I would bet the under on if it was in the 130s. I do think the offense is more consistent with the Wolverines.

The Irish lost another player to a season-ending injury in starting center Kylee Watson. I think the Irish need all the rest they can get to prepare for Ole Miss in Round 2.

Chatoanooga plays historically slow and has the defensive pieces to at least make this game somewhat competitive.

I set 40 points as the line here. As for the game total, the Crusaders play a decent pace and have enough shooters to make sure this game ends in the 160s.

Lay the big number with Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes and bet the over, too.

Florida Gulf Coast vs Oklahoma Odds, Picks, Best Bet

Two of the best offensive-minded coaches in women's basketball in the first round? A total under 150? Have to go with the over.

Think the Trojans roll here against an undersized Islanders team. Not going big but taking the women of Troy.

Marquette draws one of the toughest teams in the SEC in Ole Miss, who have covered the spread in eight straight games. We saw Marquette struggle with UConn’s defense failing to score for the final 15 minutes of play. Now they have to go up against Coach Yo’s squad? Hotty Toddy.

Princeton has been tested time and time again this season and has delivered on numerous occasions. Senior guard Kaitlyn Chen and the Princeton defense should control the pace of this game and limit turnovers on their way to a tough victory.

UNLV feels like the trendy pick, but this is one instance where I think the data is not telling the whole story. UNLV has a couple quality wins on the season, sure, but they play in a pretty below average conference, and we can’t forget they got boat raced by Seton Hall. Jim Flannery and this Bluejays squad is experienced and could be poised for another Cinderella run. I think Jays roll.

Gonzaga gets a chance to redeem themselves at home after an embarrassing loss to Portland in a conference championship game? Against this UC Irvine team? I love it.

Cal Baptist has an electric offense, but it’s going to take a lot of 3s to fall to keep things close with one of the most talented teams in the country at home. Lay the big number with the Bruins.

South Dakota State has the pieces to keep this close if they can limit the scoring output from Utah’s guards. Alissa Pili should get her 25, but if the Jackrabbits play their brand of basketball, they should keep this in single digits and cover.

Completed Games

This game should come down to one possession and features contrasting styles of play. Michigan State loves to speed opponents up, take a lot of 3s and has the depth to go the distance with any team. While UNC plays at a slower pace, they defend the paint extremely well, but like Michigan State are vulnerable to teams that can shoot the 3. I expect some fireworks from both teams and a lot of shotmaking.

I expect this one to get out of control rather quickly; with Ohio State’s press, Maine will not be able to get into their comfortable, slow pace they're used to. Still, Maine has played well against formidable opponents, leading in the fourth quarter against Indiana. It took Maine’s best player, Anne Simon, 34 points to keep Maine alive against Indiana. I just don’t see that history repeating itself against the Ohio State press. Still with that big of a number, play the under.

This matchup might be the game of the day. Middle Tennessee has a top 20 defense and plays at a slow, controlled pace. It should be an absolute rock-fight. Jeff Walz is one of the best coaches in the country and has led the Cardinals to three straight Elite Eights. I expect a slow-paced game and could see an upset here.

Presbyterian vs South Carolina Odds, Picks, Best Bet

The Gamecocks already played Presbyterian once this season, winning that contest 99-29. Yes, by 70 points. While the stakes are higher, the Gamecocks should absolutely roll. Lay the big number with the Gamecocks up to 57.5. I think they win by 60, but be safe out there.

This is a rematch from each team's first game of the season where the Duke Blue Devils were able to cruise to a 30-point win at home. While Richmond has gotten considerably better, and Duke is definitely not as strong away from home, I still think Duke has too much athletically for the Spiders to stay within 12.

The #1 seeded Texas Longhorns take on the surprise champs of the CAA Drexel Dragons. It’s a huge number, but I expect the Longhorns to come out and take care of business against Drexel. They simply have too much size and should feast all night against the Dragons. Don’t get cute. Lay the big number.

Marshall plays faster than any team in the country. They also foul the fourth most of any team in the country, which has led to their overs hitting at an insane rate this season. The status of Liz Kitley is still unknown, and while I think Virginia Tech is vulnerable without her, I think the safe play is hitting the over. Georgia Amoore could potentially have a 50 point game here.

This line opened at 25.5 at DraftKings and quickly rose for good reason. LSU has too much size and speed. Add in playing at home, and I feel it’s safe to expect a 30-point win from the Tigers.

Portland was able to get into this tournament after beating Gonzaga in the WCC championship just one week after losing to Gonzaga by 50. Against a defense like Kansas State, in Manhattan, it’s going to be a long day for the Pilots, and tough to score. Play the under.

This game is sure to be fast-paced and exciting — two great offenses with similar styles going at it. Unfortunately for Alabama, guard Jessica Timmons tore an ACL in the SEC tournament and will be out for the remainder of the season. With the firepower Florida State has, I feel like the wrong team is favored here on a neutral court.

For a struggling Colorado team that lost six of their final eight games, the last thing the Buffs want to see is a high-powered, efficient offense like Drake. The Bulldogs run incredible actions to get players open often and can put up a fight against anyone. Still, the Bulldogs are extremely vulnerable on the inside, meaning the Colorado bigs should have a field day.

This game is going to be electric. Two incredible coaches, and talent all over the place. Both teams rely on their offensive weapons and are vulnerable on the defensive side. I lean Maryland with the amount of experience the Terps have, but could see Iowa State winning. Bet the over.

Eastern Washington comes in to the NCAA Tournament with some quality players who have experience and play quality ball together. Conference Player of the Year Jamie Loera will have to have a big game to keep things close, but I feel like no one will be able to stop Raegan Beers. Oregon State scoring will force Eastern Washington to speed up.

Norfolk State has one of the best transfers in the country in guard Diamond Johnson from NC State, but Stanford will make a statement in Round 1. Points will be extremely hard to come by in this matchup. I would play the huge number with Cameron Brink & Co., but it feels safer to play the under.

A lot of people are underestimating Texas A&M with how they ended the season, but the Aggies have transfer guard Endyia Rogers healthy and have shown they can play with anyone when healthy. I lean the Aggies here, but feel this total should be in the 130s. Play the over.