Geno Auriemma said it best when he said his Connecticut Huskies cannot be beaten by anyone in the nation when they're at their best. They haven't played a close game yet in the NCAA Tournament, and they haven't had a game decided by fewer than 10 points this year. The Syracuse Orange have made a tremendously improbable run to reach this point, but they pretty much know they're going to finish as the runners up this year. This one still has to be played on Tuesday night though, and we've seen stranger things happen than an upset of this magnitude.
NCAA Tournament Odds at BookMaker.eu
Syracuse Orange +21.5
Connecticut Huskies -21.5
HOW THE SYRACUSE ORANGE CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Lady Orange know they're up against it. They played their best game of the season at the most important time, beating up Washington in a rather flawless game 80-51 in the Final Four. The game, in fact, wasn't unlike the Villanova victory over Oklahoma on the men's side. Sure, the Orange didn't shoot the ball like the Wildcats did on Saturday, but their victory was emphatic, and there wasn't a heck of a lot to not like.
If Syracuse can find an edge anywhere in this game, it's on the offensive boards. We've seen this team headed by Alexis Peterson play incredibly well when it gets second chance opportunities as was the case against both Tennessee and Washington in the Elite Eight and Final Four respectively.
You know the Huskies are going to be at their best on defense, and just getting into the 50s in scoring is going to be tough. That said, if Syracuse can get some second chances as it has of late, it can at least milk some clock and have more cracks at the basket while simultaneously keeping the Huskies from getting out and running.
HOW THE CONNECTICUT HUSKIES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
It's tough to cover a spread of this magnitude against a team like this, but against a comparable Mississippi State team in the Sweet 16, the Lady Huskies merely won by 60.
In women's basketball, anything beyond about 40 percent shooting from the field is considered good, but the Huskies are routinely in the 50s, if not in the 60s. They shot 62.7 percent at their peak against Mississippi State, and even against a very good defensive Oregon State team, they knocked down 56.7 percent of their shots.
Breanna Stewart hasn't been quite as dominant in this tournament as she has been known to be in the past, but she's still an elite athlete, and even on a day in which she scored just 16 points, she still played a huge role in the romp of Oregon State.
Let's not forget about Morgan Tuck either. She's 6-foot-2 and knocked down four threes against Oregon State, and if she's on her game, there is no answer for her whatsoever.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
It's just too hard to bet against the Huskies in this game. They're routinely crushing teams by 20+ points, and we have to imagine this is going to be the next in line of whoopings served up by the three-time defending champs.
Stewart has had one of the best careers for any collegiate athlete in any sport regardless of gender, and it would only be fitting for her to be the star in her version of "One Shining Moment" in the capper of a terrific four-year stint at UConn.
Connecticut 91, Syracuse 52
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BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the Syracuse Orange and Connecticut Huskies will kick off Tuesday, April 5, 2016, at 8:30 p.m. ET at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The matchup will be televised live on ESPN.
