Sweet 16 Teams, Ranked 😈

Some are Sweet-er than others. Here's why.

Author

Matt Ellentuck
March 24, 2023

Hello, friend

Happy women’s Sweet 16 to all who celebrate!

Catch the games today:

  • No. 9 Miami vs. No. 4 Villanova at 2:30 pm ET on ESPN

  • No. 3 LSU vs. No. 2 Utah at 5 pm ET on ESPN

  • No. 6 Colorado vs. No. 2 Iowa at 7:30 pm ET on ESPN

  • No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 5 Louisville at 10 pm ET on ESPN

In this newsletter, we’ll discuss:

Ranking Sweet 16 teams by their chances to make the Final 4

Ranking by: Matt Ellentuck, Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images

Let’s do it!

  • Playing South Carolina next :(

  • Too injured :(

  • I just don't see them having the size to outlast both Maddie Siegrist and then Angel Reese or Alissa Pili.

  • They've left a lot to be desired in the tournament.

  • They probably have to play South Carolina.

  • An upset over Iowa feels unlikely, but the Hawkeyes already had a scare against No. 10 Georgia. Nothing is impossible here.

10. VIRGINIA TECH +420 (BET $10 TO WIN $42)

  • They have one of the most difficult remaining schedules left.

  • Why the heck not? I'd be lying if I said I saw this coming, but now, with that upset-heavy portion of the bracket, anything goes.

  • Their matchup against Miami is favorable — and both Utah and LSU have had up-and-down showings against elite competition.

  • Tennessee is on a roll, and I'd have trouble picking against them.

  • With a Sweet 16 matchup against Ole Miss, they couldn't have asked for a better draw. A potential Elite Eight game against Iowa could be tough... if Iowa gets there.

  • Their matchup against Ohio State doesn't look so intimidating, though Tennessee or Virginia Tech could be a tough Elite Eight.

  • Things look good if they get past LSU.

  • Ditto the above, except the opposite.

  • None of the other top-4 teams in their corner of the bracket are still with us.

1. SOUTH CAROLINA -550 (BET $55 TO WIN $10)

  • Well, yeah. They have not lost a game since March 2021.

That was a quick skim for a newsletter. If you’re interested in more thorough thoughts:

Sweet 16 women's college basketball: Team ranked by likeliness to make the Final Four

🤯 Bet on Colorado to pull of another upset 🤯

Think Jaylyn Sherrod and the Colorado Buffaloes have what it takes to keep the upsets rolling against Caitlin Clark’s Hawkeyes? Bet on their moneyline +200. A $10 bet would earn $20 profit. You can sign up to place your first bet with BetMGM. If your bet doesn’t win, you’ll get it back in bonus bets up to $1,000.

For more upset bets to consider, click here.

🏀 See You In The Lobby: Dawn Staley’s quotes, Sweet 16 predictions & Haley Jones WNBA Draft thoughts 🏀

2006 Maryland NCAA Champion Marissa Coleman and also her co-host Matt Ellentuck discuss all that I wrote in the headline and more!

Don’t have the time to sit and watch?

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👀 ICYMI 👀

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3 underdog Sweet 16 bets to consider

Much too early NWSL award predictions