UCLA vs Southern women's basketball predictions, odds & picks for March 21

UCLA vs Southern women's basketball predictions, odds & picks for March 21 | College Basketball Season 2024-25

NCAA Womens Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship- UCLA vs USC - Source: Imagn

The last game of the first day of the first round of the women's NCAA tournament, UCLA vs Southern, is scheduled for Friday at 10 p.m. ET. The No. 1-ranked UCLA Bruins (30-2) will look to start their championship run with a dominant win over the No. 16-ranked Southern Jaguars (21-14).

UCLA vs Southern prediction

The first round of March Madness is often filled with exciting upsets, but they do not usually come from the matchups between the number one and 16 seeds, especially in the women's tournament. As a result, it is unlikely Southern will be able to overcome UCLA on Friday.

The Bruins enjoyed a strong season, losing only twice, both against USC. They even proven their ability to overcome USC by defeating them 72-67 in the Big Ten Tournament championship on Sunday. So UCLA has not faced a team this season that it has not defeated. The Bruins are on a three-game winning run entering this contest.

Conversely, Southern has had an up-and-down season. The Jaguars have struggled at times, struggling to put together consistent stretches. However, they enter March Madness on an impressive streak, winning four games in a row. The Jaguars won the SWAG Tournament, defeating Alcorn 64-44 in the final.

Additionally, the Jaguars bring experience into the tournament. Although this is the first round, this is not their first game in the tournament. They played in the First Four on Wednesday to qualify, defeating UC San Diego 68-56.

While the Jaguars have shown resiliency, it is hard to picture them defeating UCLA. The Bruins will likely dominate the Jaguars on Friday.

Prediction: UCLA 85, Southern 52

UCLA vs Southern odds

Moneyline: N/A (UCLA is viewed as too big a favorite by sportsbooks to provide odds)
Spread: UCLA -41.5 points (-110), Southern +41.5 points (-110)
Total: 121.5 points (-110)