Gardner-Webb vs Utah Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 17 NCAA Women's Tournament Game (Don't Expect Fireworks)

Gardner-Webb vs Utah Game Info

• 2022-23 NCAA Women's Tournament Game
• Gardner-Webb (29-4, 12-3 Away) vs. No. 8 Utah (25-4, 15-0 Home)
• Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Venue: Jon M. Huntsman Center -- Salt Lake City, Utah
• Coverage: ESPNU

Friday, March 17's 2022-23 NCAA Women's Tournament lineup features the No. 15 Garnder-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs going one-on-one with the No. 2 Utah Utes in a first-round Greenville 2 clash.

Gardner-Webb has yet to taste defeat in 2023, winning its 21st consecutive game with a 74-61 effort over High Point in the Big South Tournament finals. On the other side, Utah aims to take out its aggression after being eliminated from the Pac-12 quarterfinals with a 66-58 loss to Washington State.

Can Gardner-Webb continue extending its winning streak? Or will Utah remind the Runnin' Bulldogs what losing feels like?

Gardner-Webb vs Utah Odds & Spread

• All women's college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: GWEB: (+3000) | UTAH: (-20000)
• Spread: GWEB: +24.5 (-110) | UTAH: -24.5 (-110)
• Total: 159.5 -- Over: (-106) | Under: (-114)

Utah enters this contest as a clear favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 159.5 points with the under being favored at -114 odds.

Gardner-Webb vs Utah Prediction & Pick

Gardner-Webb and Utah have two of the best offenses in the country, averaging 77.0 PPG (No. 21) and 83.5 PPG (No. 3), respectively. Having said that, the Runnin' Bulldogs' attack takes a hit when it faces a non-Big Sky opponent, dropping to 73.6 PPG in those scenarios. Furthermore, each of their four losses came against opponents outside of the conference.

On the flip side, Utah has a solid 10-1 record outside of the Pac-12, which includes impressive wins over teams like Ole Miss and Colorado. The Utes are also more accurate from the floor (48.5%, No. 4) than the Runnin' Bulldogs (43.7%, No. 57), meaning Gardner-Webb might have a hard time getting back into the game if the home squad begins to pull away.

Considering how this is just Gardner-Webb's second-ever tournament appearance while Utah made it to Round 2 last year, it's safe to fade the Runnin' Bulldogs.

Final Score Prediction: Utah: 78 | Gardner-Webb: 70

Gardner-Webb vs Utah Best Bet

While both sides are capable of scoring the ball, I'm taking the under on tonight's projected total. As mentioned before, Gardner-Webb's offense isn't as consistent on the road as it is at home. Meanwhile, Utah only mustered 58 points in its last outing. .377/.238/.813 splits in its last outing.

Erring on the side of caution, taking the ender as this game's best bet.

Bet: Under 159.5 Points (-114)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.