The bracket is set and the 2022 NCAA women's basketball tournament is ready to roll. Louisville, South Carolina, Stanford and NC State enter as the No. 1 seeds, but there are always other options to bet on throughout the tournament. ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme and studio analyst Monica McNutt are here to offer their best bets for the first round and futures, including national title options.
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Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Jump to: First round | Futures
First-round best bets
5. Virginia Tech Hokies (-7, 136.5) vs. 12. Florida Gulf Coast Eagles
Spokane Regional (West): Friday, 2:30 ET (ESPNU), College Park, Md.
Money line: Virginia Tech (-325), Florida Gulf Coast (+265)
ESPN BPI: Florida Gulf Coast 50.1% chance to win
Creme's pick: Florida Gulf Coast +7
The Eagles are by far the most underseeded team in the field. A No. 12 is way too low for a team that led the nation in 3-pointers per game (11.7) and has a potential first-round WNBA draft pick in Kierstan Bell. If this game is played with pace, FGCU will get open looks and make more than enough to stay in the game and be in position to win in the final minutes.
8. Kansas Jayhawks vs. 9. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-3, 120.5)
Spokane Regional (West): Friday, 7:30 ET (ESPNU), Stanford, Calif.
Money line: Kansas (+140), Georgia Tech (-160)
ESPN BPI: Georgia Tech 59.7% chance to win
Creme's pick: Under 120.5
The Yellow Jackets have had offensive outputs of 53, 45, 39 in the last month. More importantly, they are also great defensively, allowing just 51.9 PPG, good for fifth in the country. Kansas is a good, but not great, offensive team. Expect Georgia Tech to impose its will early and keep this total low. A first-half under would also be an outstanding play.
4. Arizona Wildcats (-12.5, 131.5) vs. 13. UNLV Lady Rebels
Greensboro Regional (South): Saturday, 10 ET (ESPN2), Tucson
Money line: Arizona (-1300), UCLA (+800)
ESPN BPI: Arizona 74.8% chance to win
Creme's pick: UNLV +12.5
The Wildcats' offense hasn't played well enough lately to pull away from a balanced Rebels team. Throw in the fact that UNLV coach Lindy La Rocque played and coached at Stanford and is very familiar with the Pac-12. Expect this one to be close, and the Rebels could even win out.
Futures
UConn Huskies to win NCAA tournament (4-1)
Creme: Consider this moderate value. Sure, the Huskies have the third-best odds behind South Carolina (+175) and Stanford (+350) to win the title, but had UConn been healthy all season, the chance to cash in on the Huskies would have been much slimmer. The Huskies were the co-favorite with South Carolina in the preseason before injuries -- including one to reigning national Player of the Year Paige Bueckers that cost her 19 games -- wreaked havoc with UConn's rotation. With everyone now back, this is the team everyone expected to at least make the championship game, and now the number is better.
NC State Wolfpack to win NCAA tournament (+650)
McNutt: While I do think South Carolina is the best team and likely wins the national title, there isn't much value at +175 to win the six games. If you are looking for betting value, head to the Bridgeport Regional, where top-seeded NC State is not the betting favorite. At +650, NC State's odds are longer than 2-seed and 11-time champion UConn. Wes Moore's squad is going to have to exercise some postseason demons, having lost in the Sweet 16 last year as a No. 1 seed. The snake-bitten school hasn't advanced past the Sweet 16 since a 1998 Final Four trip. The Wolfpack have almost the entire squad from last year's 29-3 team, returning a year older and wiser. Raina Perez has been wonderful for them this year, and Elissa Cunane could have been ACC Player of the Year. Kayla Jones is healthy, and Kai Crutchfield gets better every game. The Wolfpack would have to beat UConn in Bridgeport, Connecticut, but that's another reason you are getting longer odds.
Baylor Bears to win NCAA tournament (20-1)
Creme: The Bears are better than their loss to Texas in the Big 12 championship game would indicate. They had won 12 straight prior to that and have a player in NaLyssa Smith that can carry a team. Paired with the weakest of the four No. 1 seeds (Louisville), they can certainly make it to the Final Four in Minneapolis. Betting them now to win two more games after that will be a bigger payoff.
McNutt: Another No. 2 seed with some value is three-time champion Baylor. The Bears continued to be a dominant force in women's hoops after losing coach Kim Mulkey. Nicki Collen's squad finished atop the Big 12 again this year but lost to Texas in the conference tournament title game, which was a wake-up call. Smith was in contention for Player of the Year most of the season, and Queen Egbo gives them great athleticism. Depth could be a question, but the road to their fifth Final Four and fourth NCAA title would include beating top-seeded Louisville, which is very doable and something I think happens. The Cardinals have struggled to score at times, as you saw in the ACC tournament semifinal loss to Miami. At 20-1, and clearly a top-two team in the Wichita region (Midwest), it's worth the price.
LSU Tigers to win NCAA tournament (75-1)
Creme: For a much bigger underdog flyer, the Tigers make sense. They have a three-time national championship coach in Kim Mulkey, veteran guard play and bigs that will rebound. Senior point guard Khayla Pointer has a knack for making big shots. She will have to make a few, but LSU has the ingredients to be a surprise champion.