Top-seeded SEC squads will collide in the Final Four of the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament on Friday as Texas (35-3) will take on South Carolina (34-3) in the fourth matchup of the season between these teams. The winner advances to face the winner of UConn vs. UCLA in the championship game on Sunday. The teams split two regular-season matchups before South Carolina won the SEC Tournament title game, 64-45. The Gamecocks are looking for their fourth title since 2017 under head coach Dawn Staley, while Texas has one national title (1986) in program history.
Tipoff is 7 p.m. ET at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay. The latest Texas vs. South Carolina odds list the Gamecocks as 5.5-point favorites, while the over/under is 123.5. Before making any South Carolina vs. Texas picks, be sure to see the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament picks from SportsLine experts Aaron Barzilai and Calvin Wetzel.
Barzilai is a Ph.D. from Stanford who served as Director of Basketball Analytics for the Philadelphia 76ers. Wetzel incorporates his mathematical background and strong knowledge of women’s hoops to turn the site’s prediction model into picks you could use on your favorite betting apps. They are 543-383 overall (+122.89 units) during the 2023-24 women’s college basketball campaign and posted a 125-71-1 record (+44.33 units) so far in 24-25.
Now, here are their top picks for South Carolina vs. Texas on Friday:
Texas +4.5
Both teams won on their home court against the other this season. While the SEC Tournament win for South Carolina was technically on a neutral court, that crowd was slanted to South Carolina since it was played in Greenville, S.C., approximately 100 miles away from South Carolina’s campus. “This will be the first meeting in a truly neutral environment, and despite South Carolina’s dominance in two of the first three, this number is a bit too high for Texas,” Wetzel said. “South Carolina hasn’t covered since the first round, and last weekend the Gamecocks barely escaped the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight to even win and advance.”
Under 126.5 points
Throw out lopsided wins against overmatched opponents in the first round for both of these teams, and the trends have pointed to lower-scoring games for Texas and South Carolina thus far in the tournament. Both teams also held their last opponent to 50 or fewer points. “Both of these teams are tough, physical, and defensive minded, and their defensive strengths match up well with the other’s offensive strengths,” Wetzel said. “The highest total of the first three meetings was 128, and the other two stayed below 120. The big stage of the Final Four should only create an even more intense environment, which favors defense.”
Want more Women’s NCAA Tournament picks?
You’ve seen the Wetzel and Barzilai’s top picks for Texas vs. South Carolina in the Final Four of the Women’s NCAA Tournament. Now, get picks for every game from the experts who are up 44 units on their women’s college basketball picks this season.