Undefeated defending champion UConn enters the Women's Final Four as the odds-on betting favorite to capture a back-to-back NCAA title, though the Huskies' futures have narrowed in recent weeks.
According to DraftKings, UConn sits at -160 to win the national championship. Texas and South Carolina follow at +550, while UCLA holds the longest Final Four odds at +600. The Huskies stood at -190 in January, and had hovered in the -200 range until recently.
UCLA faces an uphill battle despite cruising through the NCAA tournament as the second-highest overall seed. History appears to influence Vegas's skepticism toward the Bruins, as they next meet fellow No. 1 seed Texas on Friday with the Longhorns favored by 1.5 points.
Texas represents the only team to beat UCLA this season, impacting both the semifinal spread and the Longhorns' improved title odds.
UConn currently holds a 6.5-point edge over South Carolina in the weekend's other Final Four clash. The game marks a rematch of the Huskies' blowout 2025 championship victory over the Gamecocks.
South Carolina has drawn the most championship futures bets at both BetMGM and FanDuel. Meanwhile, UCLA has generated significant handle at BetMGM, making the Bruins the sportsbook's largest remaining liability.
The women's tournament continues showing strong growth in the betting markets. According to ESPN, Circa Sports has reached seven-figure handle across the tournament, with plans to make even more games available to bettors next season.
"We've been very pleased with the action," Circa Sports risk manager Dominick DeBonis told the publication this week.
"[We] are very excited about how the women's side of the game has grown in betting interest and national visibility."
The Final Four tips off in Phoenix on Friday at 7 PM ET, with the national championship game following on Sunday at 3:30 PM ET, live on ESPN.
