UConn vs. Stanford Prediction and Odds for Final Four (Cardinal Deserves Status as Favorites)

The nightcap of Friday evening's Final Four from Minneapolis may feature the most outstanding game of the entire tournament as the No. 2 UConn Huskies leave the friendly confines of Bridgeport, Connecticut for Minneapolis to face the No. 1 seeded Stanford Cardinal.

While two No. 1 seeds match up in Game 1 when Louisville faces South Carolina, the Cardinals are simply not in the same tier as the Gamecocks, evidenced by South Carolina going on the board as 7.5-point favorites.

This game, while not quite a pick 'em, is awfully close based on the oddsmakers' projections.

Both teams have had some close calls before pulling away late in their last matchups, as Stanford took down No. 2 Texas 59-50, whereas UConn had to survive a double-overtime thriller vs. N.C. State.

Which women's college basketball titan will outlast the other to move on to the championship game?

Here are the consensus odds for Game 2 of the 2022 Women's Final Four.

UConn vs. Stanford Odds, Spread and Total

Spread:

• UConn +1.5 (-110)
• Stanford -1.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

• UConn -105
• South Carolina -115

Total:

• 128.5 (OVER -110 | UNDER -110)

UConn vs. Stanford Prediction and Pick

At the beginning of the NCAA tournament, I took the Cardinal at +600 below as my best bet for the women's bracket of March Madness, and I'm not ready to fade or hedge just yet, despite a few concerns from the previous two games.

Both Maryland and Texas did a nice job in taking away part of what the Cardinal do so well; limit effective field goal opportunities. Stanford had an abysmal shooting performance vs. the Longhorns in particular, going 19-51 (37.25%) from the floor and just 3-17 from downtown. To the credit of Stanford, they got to the foul line a ton, going 18-22 from the charity stripe, as well as holding Texas to just 32.7% shooting.

UConn, despite dropping 91 points in their remarkable 2-OT Elite Eight performance vs. N.C. State has to be gassed. Azzi Fudd, Christyn Williams and Paige Bueckers all played 49, 47 and 44 minutes respectively, with Aaliyah Edwards and Olivia Nelson-Ododa in the high 30's as well. To then turn around after barely surviving in your own backyard and face a team as stout defensively as Stanford is a daunting task.

The Cardinal also have some positive regression coming their way. Want to hear a nuts stat? Lacie Hull played all 40 minutes for the Cardinal, and didn't score a single point vs. the Longhorns! That changes on Friday night.

Both teams have their own "magic number" when it comes to points scored. When Stanford gets to 55, they're 32-2. When UConn gets to 57, they're 28-4.

In the case of the Huskies, I do think they get to 57 points, but ultimately fall to 28-5.

Give me the Cardinal in another compelling nail-biter, with Cameron Brink being the difference maker in the end.

PICK: Stanford -1.5 (-110)

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