Colorado vs Iowa Women’s Sweet Sixteen Prediction & Best Bets: Will Clark and the Hawkeyes Move On?

After surviving a stiff challenge from West Virginia, Caitlin Clark and Iowa are two wins away from returning to the Final Four. Next up for Clark and the Hawkeyes is a Sweet Sixteen rematch with Colorado this afternoon in Albany, New York (3:30 pm ET, ABC).

In Monday’s second-round game, the Hawkeyes (31-4), the #1 seed in the Albany 2 regional, were up by 10 entering the fourth quarter. But the #8 Mountaineers rallied to tie the game with under three minutes remaining, and it looked like Iowa’s championship dreams could be crushed.

But over the final 2:03, Iowa outscored West Virginia 12-2 to escape with a 64-54 win, with Clark sinking six of six free throws to finish with 32 points.

That sets up a meeting with the fifth-seeded Buffaloes (24-9), in a rematch of last year’s regional semifinal matchup in Seattle. In that game, Colorado led by a point at halftime, but a big third quarter for Iowa helped the Hawkeyes advance with an 87-77 win.

Can the Buffaloes make things interesting in Albany? Or will the Hawkeyes move on to Monday with no trouble? Read on for a Colorado vs Iowa prediction and the best bets for the game.

Colorado vs Iowa Odds

Odds are via BetOnline, a longtime fixture in the sports betting industry. Check out our BetOnline sportsbook review, then grab yourself a nice sign-up bonus to bet on the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments.

Spread

• Colorado +7 (-105)
• Iowa -7 (-115)

Over/Under

• Over 157.5 (-110)
• Under 157.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Colorado +270
• Iowa -325

Looking for more college basketball picks? Our NCAA basketball picks page features moneyline, spread, and total (over/under) picks for today’s men’s Elite Eight games.

Colorado vs Iowa Betting Analysis

With much of the season in the books, Colorado was on course for a high NCAA Tournament seed. But after starting 20-3 overall and 10-2 in the Pac-12, the Buffaloes dropped five of their last six regular season games then fell to Oregon State in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament.

It was a disappointing finish for a team that started the season with a stunning upset of preseason #1 LSU, but they appear to have found themselves again in the NCAA Tournament. In the first round, they defeated a 29-win Drake team by 14. In the second round, they took out Ayoka Lee and Kansas State by 13, holding the Wildcats to a season-low 50 points.

Can they challenge the Hawkeyes? Coming from the best conference in women’s college basketball, Colorado has been tested plenty this season, in addition to non-conference contests against LSU and NC State.

Also, six of Colorado’s seven leading scorers last season are six of their seven leading scorers this season, and all six played 20+ minutes against Iowa last season.

Colorado vs Iowa Players to Watch

Colorado

• Aaronette Vonleh: 14.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG
• Jaylyn Sherrod: 12.9 PPG, 4.9 APG, 3.1 RPG, 2.2 SPG

Iowa

• Caitlin Clark: 31.8 PPG, 8.8 APG, 7.3 RPG
• Hannah Steulke: 14.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG

So, this does shape up as a potentially tricky game for the Hawkeyes.

But whether the Buffaloes are able to stay in the game for 40 minutes will depend heavily on their perimeter defense.

For the season, Colorado is one of the worst teams in the country in that category (33.9%).

Iowa, meanwhile, is ninth in Division in perimeter shooting (37.6%), and Clark (37.9%) is the most prolific three-point shooter in the country by a long distance. She averages 5.2 made threes on 13.6 attempts per game. The player who is second in the country in both categories, TCU’s Madison Conner, averaged 3.7 makes and 9.6 attempts per game this season.

Clark isn’t Iowa’s only three-point threat, which makes the Buffaloes’ issues there even more of a concern. Kate Martin shoots 38.0% from outside, while Gabbie Marshall, who has had some shooting struggles this season, has made 44.2% (19 of 43) of her threes in her last seven games.

Colorado did hold Kansas State to 5 of 19 (26.3%) from three, but the Wildcats don’t shoot well from outside. So, there’s nothing that can really be taken from that performance.

Ultimately, I do think that the Buffaloes will keep things competitive. They aren’t going to be easy to put away, by any means. They can score, but I think defense, even if they give up some threes, will keep them in the game. With that in mind, I’m riding with the under for this matchup.

Colorado vs Iowa Prediction: Iowa to win

Colorado vs Iowa Best Bets: Colorado/Iowa first half under 75.5 & Colorado/Iowa under 157.5

More March Madness Betting Information

Where Can You Bet on March Madness This Year?

Each year, millions upon of millions of March Madness bets are placed at the top online sports betting sites.

Most March Madness betting takes place around and at tournament time, which is from mid-March to early April. But throughout the year, you can bet on who you think will win the college basketball national championship.

Along with men’s college basketball odds, most good sportsbooks now carry women’s college basketball national championship odds, which are drawing a lot of attention this season with the likes of South Carolina, Iowa, and LSU vying to cut down the nets in Cleveland, Ohio on April 7.

Numerous sportsbooks are good for March Madness betting, but in addition to BetOnline, here are some of the books that we have reviewed and highly recommend:

• BetDSI (Review)
• BetUS (Review)
• Bovada (Review)
• MyBookie (Review)

If you are unfamiliar with any of the above sites, check out our sportsbook reviews to learn more about them. Speaking of offers, keep an eye on the latest sportsbook offers from these books and others as the countdown to the opening tip of March Madness continues. That way, you will not miss out on any special sports betting promos and bonuses to pad your bankroll for March Madness betting.

Other March Madness Content at Betting News

If you like this Alabama vs North Carolina betting breakdown and would like to check out our other March Madness content, our March Madness guide is where you can find it all in one tidy place. But here’s a rundown of some of what we have put together to help you with your NCAA Tournament betting this year.

We’re also covering the 2024 NIT, so check out that content as well.

• Men’s March Madness Futures Odds
• Women’s March Madness Futures Odds
• 2024 Men’s Final Four Odds
• Six Men’s March Madness Sleepers for 2024
• Best March Madness Betting Tips & Strategies
• Where to Find the Best March Madness Betting Picks
• Best March Madness Betting Sites for This Year
• This Year’s Best March Madness Bracket Challenges
• Betting News Bracket Mania (Our FREE March Madness Bracket Challenge!)

Interested in Learning More About Betting on March Madness & NCAA Basketball?

If you are interested in learning more about betting on men’s or women’s NCAA basketball, check out our college basketball betting guide. It covers the basics of wagering on March Madness, the Mountain West, the MAAC, McNeese State, and beyond.

• College Basketball Betting Guide: How to Bet on NCAA Basketball in 2024

Also, follow Betting News on X/Twitter, Twitch, and TikTok to get more March Madness and NCAA basketball insight from myself and the rest of our team. We’re cooking up a lot of great NCAA Tournament content for both the men’s and women’s tournaments, so hit those links so you don’t miss out on any of it.

• Betting News on “X”/Twitter
• Betting News on Twitch
• Betting News on TikTok