JuJu Watkins Torn ACL
For the first time in a long time, there was another USC reaching national prominence in the women’s college basketball world. Dawn Staley and her University of South Carolina Gamecocks have been the gold standard of the sport for a while now, but the team in Los Angeles with the USC name was making strides, led by sophomore superstar JuJu Watkins. On Monday night, though, the nation’s fifth-leading scorer suffered a torn ACL in the Trojans’ win over Mississippi State.
DraftKings Sportsbook moved USC from +700 to +2200 to win the Women’s NCAA Tournament, as Watkins averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game. The No. 1 seed Trojans rallied together to blow out the Bulldogs 96-59 and will now face Kansas State in the Sweet 16, with a potential matchup against No. 2 UConn looming in the Elite Eight on either March 30 or 31. UConn is now the favorite to win it all at +160 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
I asked our resident WCBB expert Tyler Shoemaker about the adjustment with the Watkins injury, where he has the Trojans now, and what the line looks like against UConn without Watkins.
On the adjustment without JuJu Watkins...
“I have Watkins worth around five points to the power rating, so USC would have been -4 vs. Kansas State in the Sweet 16 and I now have Trojans +1.”
On the potential UConn Elite Eight game...
“UConn -9 without Watkins.”
On UConn favored to win it all over South Carolina...
“I have South Carolina and UConn rated exactly even. UConn destroyed SC in the regular season, but I would take any SC advantage I could get because of their defense, so longer futures odds or getting points with them in a potential matchup is enticing.”
USC plays on Saturday March 29 at 8 p.m. ET against Kansas State in Spokane, WA, putting the hypothetical matchup with UConn on Monday, if the Trojans can rally together to pull off what could be a mini upset. The Huskies are -14.5 against Oklahoma per ESPNBet on Saturday.
