The betting favorites to win the nationwide title in girls’s faculty basketball this yr are the standard suspects. With lower than every week to go earlier than the season suggestions off, the reigning champs — UConn — are the favourite at FanDuel Sportsbook at +240, with South Carolina shut behind at +280.
UCLA and Texas, who joined the Huskies and Gamecocks eventually season’s Last 4, have the following greatest odds. The Bruins are +480 and the Longhorns are +850.
These odds are set for good causes. UConn is constructed to repeat with a roster that returns Sarah Robust and Azzi Fudd, South Carolina added the nation’s main scorer to an already robust workforce coached by Daybreak Staley, Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice are again at UCLA, and Texas remains to be armed with the duo of Madison Booker and Rori Harmon.
However when you’re actually seeking to get some bang on your buck, you is perhaps trying decrease down the percentages checklist and looking for a squad that oddsmakers are undervaluing.
Right here’s three groups with engaging nationwide championship odds, per FanDuel.
Since profitable the nationwide title in 2023, Kim Mulkey’s Tigers have gone to the Elite Eight in back-to-back seasons. Flau’Jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams are again, and the Tigers put gifted and intriguing items round them by way of highschool recruiting and the switch portal. LSU added electrical South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, Notre Dame heart Kate Koval, and do-it-all ahead Amiya Joyner from East Carolina. Toss in three of ESPN’s prime 25 recruits and the Tigers have a workforce that appears to be — on-paper in any case — as gifted as any within the nation.
The Blue Devils had their greatest season but below Kara Lawson final yr, profitable the ACC Event and advancing to the Elite Eight for the primary time since 2013. Duke was a couple of performs away from going to the Last 4 final season, however narrowly misplaced to South Carolina by 4 factors in Birmingham. From that roster, Duke brings again 4 starters — a gaggle that doesn’t embrace ACC Rookie of the 12 months Toby Fournier, who had 18 factors towards the Gamecocks within the regional ultimate. The Blue Devils are additionally getting two former McDonald’s All-Individuals wholesome in 6-foot-2 Riley Nelson and 6-foot-4 Arianna Roberson, and so they introduced in Emilee Skinner, the nation’s fourth-best recruit in line with ESPN. Duke is the favourite within the ACC and has sufficient expertise to win the nationwide title.
Mark Campbell’s Horned Frogs made historical past final season by profitable the Large 12 and advancing to the Elite Eight for the primary time ever. That TCU workforce misplaced its prime three scorers, however Campbell reloaded in an enormous approach within the switch portal by getting All-American level guard Olivia Miles from Notre Dame. Across the dynamic playmaker, the Horned Frogs acquired sharpshooting wing Marta Suarez from Cal and 6-foot-7 heart Clara Silva from Kentucky. Returners in Donovyn Hunter and Taylor Bigby spherical out what must be a robust beginning 5. Taliyah Parker from Texas A&M, Maddie Scherr from Kentucky, Veronica Sheffey from San Diego State, and 6-foot-7 Kennedy Basham spherical out what appears like an extremely robust roster.
