How to Watch USC Trojans vs. UNC Greensboro: Preview, Prediction, Betting Odds

The No. 1 USC Trojans will face the No. 6 UNC Greensboro Spartans in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Preview, prediction, and odds for the matchup at Galen Center. The TV broadcast is ABC. Can JuJu Watkins and the Trojans make a deep playoff push?

Angela Miele | Mar 21, 2025

USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) drives Friday, March 7, 2025, agains the Indiana Hoosiers during the Big Ten women's tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. / Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The No. 1 USC Trojans women’s basketball team is set to play their first matchup of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Trojans will face the No. 16 UNC Greensboro Spartans on Saturday.

How to Watch:

The USC Trojans women’s basketball team will face the UNC Greensboro Spartans at 12 p.m. PT on Saturday at Galen Center in Los Angeles, California. The game will be broadcast on ABC.

Betting Odds:

The USC Trojans are 32.5-point favorites on Fanduel Sportsbook against the UNC Greensboro Spartans. The total points are 128.5.

USC vs. UNC Greensboro preview:

The USC Trojans women’s basketball team is heading into the tournament with a 28-3 overall record, going 17-1 in Big Ten conference play. The Trojans went on to play in the Big Ten Championship but lost against the UCLA Bruins, 72-67.

The Trojans had a strong season and earned the No. 1 seed, but they are the fourth No. 1 seed overall. After the bracket was released, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb expressed frustration over the seeding.

“I never thought I’d be a one seed and feel disrespected, but I thought the committee just, I thought there would be very little chance we would be the number four overall number one,” Gottlieb said.“This was not on my bingo card to be a little bit, you know frustrated after being a one seed and it’s not, you know, an arrogance of any kind.”

Mar 8, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb reacts to a foul called against her player while playing the women’s Michigan Wolverines for the Big Ten Conference Tournament semifinals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images / Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images

Gottlieb knows that despite the frustration, the team must shift their focus towards the Spartans and take it one game at a time.

“I think there’s a lot of really good teams, and you’ve got to play the first game in front of you and earn your way from there and that’s what we’ll do,” Gottlieb continued.

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The USC Trojans have averaged 81.5 points per game this season, led by star guard JuJu Watkins with 24.6 points. Watkins and forward Kiki Iriafen have become a dynamic duo this season with scoring, as Iriafen averages 18.2 points per game. When the two are at the top of their game, they are a tough duo to stop.

Watkins also leads the team with 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals, and Iriafen leads the team, averaging 8.3 rebounds. USC center Rayah Marshall is one of the many dominant players on the team, averaging 1.9 blocks.

The Trojans went 14-1 while playing at Galen Center this season. Between the championship loss and their frustration over their seeding, the Women of Troy are entering the tournament with a chip on their shoulder.

Feb 13, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans forward Kiki Iriafen (44) tries to score between UCLA Bruins forward Angela Dugalic (32) and UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) during and NCAA basketball game at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The UNC Greensboro Spartans are 25-6, 13-1 in Southern Conference play. The Spartans are coming off an overtime win against the Chattanooga Mocs, 64-57 in the Southern Conference Championship game. The team went 7-5 in away games this season as they head into a hostile Galen Center.

The Spartans are averaging 61.0 points per game, led by guard Caia Elisaldez, who is averaging 13.9 points per game. Forward Gianna Corbitt is not far behind, averaging 10.6 points per game. Elisaldez also leads the team, averaging 4.7 assists, and Corbitt leads, averaging 7.2 rebounds.

The other names for the Spartans to watch for are guard Sigrun Olafsdottir, who is averaging 2.4 steals, and forward Karsen Murphy, who is leading the Spartans with 0.9 blocks. The Spartans have had a big season but will be facing a tough USC team.

USC vs. UNC Greensboro prediction:

The USC Trojans will defeat the UNC Greensboro Spartans, 79-64.

If USC defeats UNC Greensboro, the Trojans will face the winner of California vs. Mississippi State.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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