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The first round of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Tournament gets underway on Friday, March 18, as the First Four took place over the course of Wednesday and Thursday. 64 teams will battle to advance to the second round and beyond as the action tips off at 11:30 a.m. ET with No. 9 South Florida taking on No. 8 Miami.
Stanford will begin their quest to win a repeat title after taking home the championship in 2021. The Cardinals went 27-3 on the season, and come into the tournament on the back of a 20-game winning streak. There’s no reason to expect they won’t move past the first round, as the odds have the Cardinals favored by 32 points over No. 16 Montana State. The point total is set for 136.5 for this first round matchup as well, and there’s no reason the reigning champs shouldn’t win and most likely cover the spread as well. They come into the first round on the back of a big 73-48 win over No. 6 Utah in the Pac-12 Tournament championship.
If you’re looking for potential bracket busters, look no further than No. 11 Princeton, who will go up against No. 6 Kentucky on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET. Kentucky is favored by a narrow 1.5 points, with the point total at 129 for this 6/11 matchup. Princeton comes in as the defending Ivy League champions, having won that tournament the last three times in a row. They’re one of the smallest teams in the country, with their tallest starter coming in at just 6’1 from forward Ellie Mitchell, but they boast the No. 5 defensive rating in the country as they’ve held their opponents to just 50.9 points per game. They could be a real problem for the Wildcats in the first round.
Here are the complete first round odds for the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, via Wager Talk.
March 18
No. 8 Miami vs. No. 9 South Florida
Spread: Miami -1
Total: 110.5
No. 7 Colorado vs. No. 10 Creighton
Spread: Colorado -2
Total: 128.5
No. 7 Mississippi vs. No. 10 South Dakota
Spread: Mississippi -3.5
Total: 119
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Howard
Spread: TBD
Total: TBD
No. 5 Virginia Tech vs. No. 12 FGCU
Spread: Virginia Tech -6
Total: 136.5
No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 9 Gonzaga
Spread: Nebraska -1
Total: 131.5
No. 2 Baylor vs. No. 15 Hawaii
Spread: Baylor -29
Total: 133.5
No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 15 Illinois State
Spread: Iowa -19
Total: 151.5
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Delaware
Spread: Maryland -16
Total: 147.5
No. 7 Utah vs. No. 10 Arkansas
Spread: Utah -1
Total: 151.5
No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 16 Albany
Spread: Louisville -34
Total: 111.5
No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 11 Dayton
Spread: TBD
Total: TBD
No. 8 Kansas vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech
Spread: Georgia Tech -3
Total: 120
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 15 Fairfield
Spread: Texas -26
Total: 120.5
No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 UT Arlington
Spread: Iowa State -19.5
Total: 141
No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 16 Montana State
Spread: Stanford -32
Total: 136.5
March 19
No. 8 Washington State vs. No. 9 Kansas State
Spread: Kansas State -3
Total: 119.5
No. 2 Connecticut vs. No. 15 Mercer
Spread: Connecticut -29.5
Total: 120.5
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Villanova
Spread: BYU -11
Total: 127
No. 3 Indiana vs. No. 14 Charlotte
Spread: Indiana -16
Total: 125
No. 1 NC State vs. No. 16 Longwood
Spread: NC State -40
Total: 141.5
No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Missouri State
Spread: Ohio State -5.5
Total: 133
No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 13 Buffalo
Spread: Tennessee -10
Total: 138
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 14 American
Spread: Michigan -24.5
Total: 122.5
No. 7 UCF vs. No. 10 Florida
Spread: UCF -6.5
Total: 116
No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 11 Princeton
Spread: Kentucky -1.5
Total: 129
No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 Jackson State
Spread: LSU -13.5
Total: 137.5
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Belmont
Spread: Oregon -10
Total: 127
No. 5 UNC vs. No. 12 Stephen F. Austin
Spread: UNC -11.5
Total: 128.5
No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Massachusetts
Spread: Notre Dame -7.5
Total: 139.5
No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13 UNLV
Spread: Arizona -12.5
Total: 131.5
No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Indiana Purdue
Spread: Oklahoma -8
Total: 149.5
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