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00:00But it's also Final Four Friday, not just from the preview perspective on the show,
00:05but in the games that we will see in Tampa for the Women's NCAA Tournament.
00:10And much like we saw in the Men's NCAA Tournament, it has been mostly chalk.
00:16Now, it's 3-1 seeds in a two seed, but that two seed was not your usual two seed.
00:22It's Paige Beckers and the Connecticut Huskies,
00:25who are the odds on favor to win their region, despite being on the two line,
00:29even with USC as the one seed.
00:31And then after the unfortunate injury to Juju Watkins,
00:34it was really all UConn, led by Gino Auriemma,
00:38into their 24th Final Four under Auriemma.
00:42And that's where Connecticut still stands.
00:43UConn is the national title favorite, in minus money,
00:47entering Final Four weekend in Tampa.
00:49Minus 155, though, that updated number on the FanDuel Sportsbook,
00:54it was minus 170 just yesterday.
00:57UConn will take on the number one overall seed in UCLA.
01:01That's one matchup in Tampa, the night cap on Friday.
01:04The first is an all SEC affair between South Carolina and Texas.
01:09The Gamecocks, of course,
01:11have won two national championships in the last three years.
01:15They are the reigning national title winners, but
01:17they have been tested in the round of 32 and beyond in the NCAA Tournament.
01:23And they were tested by Texas in early February in Austin.
01:28Now we have two conference foes squaring off.
01:31And South Carolina is a four and a half point favorite in the first of two
01:35tomorrow night in Tampa, tipping around 7 PM Eastern time.
01:39That makes sense.
01:40South Carolina should be booked as the favorite.
01:43These two teams have played three times this year,
01:46including a highly anticipated SEC tournament title.
01:50South Carolina won that game by nearly 20, winning by a 19 point margin.
01:55South Carolina has won two of the three against Madison Booker and
01:58the Longhorns this year.
02:00But Texas did make a little bit of history in that matchup in Austin
02:05in early February.
02:06The Longhorns won that game outright as a slight home favorite,
02:09two and a half, three and a half points, 66-62.
02:13Snapping South Carolina's 57 game SEC win streak.
02:20That game at home for Texas, this one, of course,
02:24on a neutral site in Tampa, four and a half points spread.
02:27But South Carolina has been in a couple of dogfights into the second weekend and
02:32beyond in Birmingham.
02:34They were tested by Maryland, trailing into the final few minutes in the Sweet 16
02:38matchup against the Terps, and a low scoring affair against Duke on Saturday
02:43night or Sunday afternoon, Sunday afternoon it was, we had a tie ball game with about
02:48two and a half minutes remaining between the Gamecocks and
02:50the Blue Devils before South Carolina prevail.
02:54This is going to be a test against Texas.
02:56After the Longhorns pulled off the upset over South Carolina,
03:00I bet Texas at a 7-1 number to win the national championship.
03:05Of course, that price a little bit longer entering final four weekend at plus 850,
03:10because they do draw South Carolina.
03:12In fact, my other national championship bet back in late January
03:17was on an unbeaten UCLA team that was looking supremely talented this year.
03:23And yet, in my estimation,
03:25was not getting the credit it deserved in the national title odds.
03:29That was a plus 550 bet on the Bruins,
03:31led by one of the best pigs in the sport in Lauren Betts.
03:34Unfortunate for me to see both of my numbers a little bit longer now
03:39than they were even about two, three months ago, why?
03:43Because of how great Connecticut has been and
03:46because of course the pedigree for South Carolina.
03:49UConn is a minus money national championship favorite entering the Friday
03:53night finale in the final four tomorrow in Tampa, Florida.
03:57UConn a seven and a half point favorite against UCLA.
04:01UConn is a two seed, but only in name.
04:04UCLA is the number one overall seed and yet an underdog.
04:08Connecticut has won 14 consecutive games by at least 14 points,
04:12including all four games so far here in the women's NCAA tournament.
04:17That even dates back to the ending of their year through early February and
04:22their most recent loss to Tennessee.
04:25That includes nearly a 40 point win on the road in Columbia against South Carolina.
04:30It makes sense.
04:32UConn is an odds on favorite to win the national championship.
04:35Paige Beckers is an odds on favorite to win the most outstanding player award.
04:39She has been lights out so far in the NCAA tournament.
04:43But I do think UCLA keeps this game close.
04:46Ultimately, I do believe the Huskies will win.
04:47I think the Bruins can stay inside the number.
04:50Key matchup to me, Lauren Betts, the big for
04:53the Bruins against Sarah Strong, the outstanding freshman on the other side.
04:57We'll talk more about those games tomorrow.
04:59The Early Line returns on a Friday at 8 a.m.