Women’s March Madness Odds 2026: South Carolina Opens as Favorite; UConn, Texas Trail

Thanks to recent No. 1 WNBA draft pick Paige Bueckers, UConn won its first NCAA Tournament title in nearly a decade under Geno Auriemma, but it's not the Huskies who opened as Women's March Madness odds favorites for 2025-26.

Despite falling to UConn in the title game this past season, South Carolina is the favorite to win the women's March Madness championship at our March Madness betting sites. Head coach Dawn Staley looks to have the most talented team in the country, but can the Gamecocks live up to the hype?

🏆 Live Women's March Madness odds 2026

Our live Women's March Madness odds from our best sports betting sites update in real time.

🥇 Women's March Madness favorites 2026

🐔 South Carolina March Madness odds (+230)

Last season, South Carolina opened as the overwhelming favorite to win the Women's March Madness title, but the Gamecocks ultimately fell short of a repeat. While Staley's squad got blown out by UConn in the championship, it deserves to be the favorite once again as it chases a third title in five years.

Losing Te-Hina Paopao and Sania Feagin to the WNBA and MiLaysia Fulwiley to the transfer portal hurts, but South Carolina returns plenty of talent. Freshman phenom Joyce Edwards is back, as are Chloe Kitts, Tessa Johnson, Bree Hall, and Raven Johnson.

To make this team even more terrifying, Staley added Florida State transfer Ta'niya Latson in the portal. The three-time All-ACC guard averaged 25.2 PPG last season and is a prime women's Wooden Award odds contender.

I'd much rather back South Carolina, with a $10 winning bet paying a $23 profit at FanDuel, than UConn without Bueckers.

Best odds: +230 via FanDuel | Implied Probability: 30.30%

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🐺 UConn March Madness odds (+310)

It's the end of an era in Storrs with Bueckers off to the WNBA to play for the Dallas Wings. She went out with a bang and won UConn its first title since 2016, but can this program really repeat without her? I don't think so.

While Sarah Strong is poised to be one of the best players in the country, and Azzi Fudd is back as a fifth-year senior, the Huskies just don't have the same depth that South Carolina has, which is why I think these odds are too short to feel comfortable backing at this point.

Don't get me wrong, UConn will likely be a top two seed yet again, but if Latson keeps up her play in the SEC, then I can think of only one team with a player capable of knocking off South Carolina. 

Best odds: +310 via FanDuel | Implied Probability: 24.39%

👀 My Women's March Madness team to watch

🐻 UCLA March Madness odds (+900)

These odds are too short in comparison to UConn. UCLA should be right there with the Huskies behind South Carolina because the Bruins have a not-so-secret weapon in center Lauren Betts, who was among the women's Wooden Award finalists last year. 

She can have the same impact for the Bruins that Kamilla Cardoso did for the Gamecocks during their championship run two seasons ago. Betts is a two-way monster with her 6-foot-7 frame creating impossible matchups for so many opponents, including South Carolina last year - UCLA beat Staley's team 77-62 early in the regular season.

Betts isn't alone either with Cori Close's team returning Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, and Londynn Jones. This is a veteran roster with a superstar talent, so I love this price with a $10 winning bet paying a $90 profit.

Best odds: +900 via FanDuel | Implied Probability: 10%

🤖 Women's March Madness AI prediction

For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze historical trends and women's NCAA basketball stats before predicting the winner of this year's Women's March Madness. Our AI prediction projects South Carolina to win the Women's March Madness title. 

🖥️ AI Women's March Madness prediction: South Carolina

🏀 Elite transfer addition: The Gamecocks bolstered their roster by acquiring Ta'Niya Latson, the ACC Freshman of the Year and a prolific scorer from Florida State, and her addition addresses the departure of MiLaysia Fulwiley and enhances South Carolina's offensive capabilities
🏀 Strong returning core: With key players like Raven Johnson returning, South Carolina maintains a solid foundation of experience and leadership, essential for deep tournament runs
🏀 Proven coaching excellence: Under the guidance of coach Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks have consistently been a dominant force in women's college basketball, known for their defensive prowess and disciplined play

🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean South Carolina (+230) winning its third NCAA Tournament in five years. ChatGPT is a large language model and not specifically designed for predicting sporting events, so these projections should be viewed as entertainment or a supplementary data point for your Women's March Madness betting research.

📊 Women's March Madness opening odds

Women's March Madness opening odds via FanDuel.

• South Carolina: +230
• UConn: +310
• Texas: +850
• UCLA: +900
• LSU: +1100
• USC: +1100
• Notre Dame: +1100
• Duke: +2500
• Tennessee: +3000
• TCU: +3000

📚 Past Women's March Madness winners

❓Women's March Madness FAQs

Who is the Women's March Madness favorite?

South Carolina (+230) is the favorite at our best March Madness betting sites with an implied win probability of 30.30%, according to our odds calculator. 

Who won Women's March Madness last year?

The UConn Huskies defeated the South Carolina Hawkeyes, 82-59, in last year's national title game.

When does Women's March Madness 2026 start?

The women's NCAA Tournament begins on March 18 with the First Four.

When will Women's March Madness be decided?

The 2026 national championship game will take place on Sunday, April 5.

Where will Women's March Madness be played?

The 2026 Final Four and national championship game will be held at PHX Arena in Phoenix.

👑 Best March Madness betting sites

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