USC vs. Kansas State Prediction Tonight: Best Odds, Picks & Preview for Women's Sweet 16
The final game of the women's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 tips off tonight when the No. 1 seed USC Trojans (30-3) face the No. 5 seed Kansas State Wildcats (28-7) at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN) from Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash.
Even without leading scorer JuJu Watkins, who was injured in the second round, the Trojans are 1.5-point betting favorites to advance in the Spokane 4 Region of the women's March Madness bracket. That's why we're fading the top seed in our USC vs. Kansas State prediction, odds, and preview as part of our women's March Madness predictions.
🏀 USC vs. Kansas State prediction & picks for today
Here are my best USC vs. Kansas State predictions for the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:
✅ Against the spread pick: Kansas State +1.5 (-102 via DraftKings) vs. USC ⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Best player prop bet: Kiki Iriafen Over 31.5 points + rebounds (-114 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: Kansas State 68, USC 66 (+17000 via DraftKings)
👉 Want more March Madness action? Check out the rest of our college basketball picks for both the men's and women's NCAA tournament.
🏆 Best USC vs. Kansas State pick, player prop bet & score prediction
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✅ Kansas State to cover the spread: +1.5 ⭐⭐⭐
Can the Trojans survive without one of the nation’s best players? Watkins finished the year averaging 23.9 points per game. She was also tied for the team lead in assists and steals, and she was second on the team in blocks per game.
No teams have the depth to lose a player like Watkins, but the Trojans are especially ill-equipped for this type of absence. Watkins and Kiki Iriafen are the only two Trojans averaging more than 10 points per game. Iriafen scored 36 for the Trojans in the Round of 32, and four other players scored in double figures, but I don’t expect those performances to be replicated against a really good Wildcats team.
The Wildcats have proven that they can beat some of the nation’s best teams, as they’ve defeated the TCU Horned Frogs and Kentucky Wildcats this season. They also remained competitive against teams like the Duke Blue Devils and West Virginia Mountaineers. If Watkins was playing, this game wouldn’t be close. But she isn’t, and because of that, the Wildcats are likely to advance to the Elite Eight.
📊 Best odds: -102 via DraftKings ($10 to win $9.80)
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🔥 Kiki Iriafen Over 31.5 points + rebounds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Because Watkins got hurt so early in the Round of 32 game, we know exactly what the Trojans are going to look like without her. Iriafen will be the most important part of the offense, and she will need to have a huge game for her team to have any chance.
Iriafen averages 18.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, so this total isn’t asking her to do much better than her season average. Because of that, this is one of the best plays of the Sweet 16. Iriafen has scored at least 20 points in five of her last eight games, and Watkins played in seven of those contests. She will score more than 20 on Friday against a team that has allowed at least 70 points in four of its last six.
Can Iriafen pull down more rebounds than her season average? Considering she’s topped her season average in five of her last six games, she shouldn’t have any trouble. And during that six-game stretch, she’s pulled down at least 10 boards three times.
📊 Best odds: -114 via FanDuel ($10 to win $8.77)
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🎯 Score prediction: Kansas State 68, USC 66
The Trojans are averaging 81.6 points per game, which are the 10th-most in college basketball. However, 23.9 of those points won’t be on the court tonight with Watkins out. Therefore, I’m projecting they go way below their season average in this one.
The Wildcats are also a high-scoring team, as they average 79.5 points per game. But the Trojans are allowing just 58.8 points per contest, and without their best player, this game should be played even slower than most of their games. Expect both teams to score well below their season averages, as the Wildcats pull off the slight upset.
📊 Best odds: +17000 via DraftKings ($10 to win $1,700)
🤖 USC vs. Kansas State AI prediction
For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze historical trends and live NCAA Tournament stats before predicting the winner and exact score for USC vs. Kansas State. Our AI prediction projects a final score of Kansas State 62, USC 58.
🖥️ AI score prediction: Kansas State 62, USC 58
- Despite Watkins' injury, USC secured a dominant 96-59 victory over Mississippi State, showcasing resilience and depth.
- Some experts remain optimistic about USC's chances, suggesting they can overcome the loss of Watkins.
- Considering the adjustments USC must make without its star player, Kansas State should be slightly favored in this matchup.
🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean Kansas State covering the spread (+1.5) and a total of Under 140.5 points. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that March Madness bettors might overlook.
📊 Live USC vs. Kansas State odds
Follow the latest women's March Madness odds for the NCAA Tournament.
🔢 USC vs. Kansas State opening odds
- Spread: USC -1.5 (-110) | Kansas State +1.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: USC -125 | Kansas State +105
- Over/Under: Over 140.5 (-110) | Under 140.5 (-110)
📺 How to watch USC vs. Kansas State: Women's Sweet 16
📅 Date: Saturday, March 29
🕗 Time: 8 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Spokane Arena (Spokane, Wash.)
📺 TV: ESPN
💻 Streaming: ESPN+
💰 March Madness betting odds pages
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