Women's Final Four: Should you take the Over in the Iowa-UConn game?

The argument for the Over to hit is pretty straightforward. Iowa hit it against LSU in the Elite Eight even though it was set at a staggering 167.5. UConn also hit the Over in their Elite Eight matchup, which was set a bit more modestly at 135.5. Plus, each team's top scorers are doing what they do best. Bueckers is averaging 22.0 points per game and is coming off of a 29-point effort against USC, while Clark is, well, leading in every offensive category in women's basketball. 

To top it all off, the last matchup between Iowa and UConn in 2022 — which the Huskies won 86-79 — ended with a collective 165. So why shouldn't the Over hit in the 2024 Final Four?

For starters, the Hawkeyes haven't hit that many collective points in any of their other games in the tournament. You may also recall that they were held to only 64 points in the second round against West Virginia when Clark scored 32 points but only tallied three assists since the rest of the team struggled to score. UConn went through a similar scenario in the Sweet 16 when they were held to just 53 points in their win against Duke — although, to be fair, the Huskies held the Blue Devils to just 45 points in that game.

On that note, the Huskies are tougher on offenses than the Hawkeyes' previous opponents, even LSU.

"The Huskies have bigger perimeter defenders, starting with Nika Mühl, who took on the challenge of defending JuJu Watkins," the Athletic said. "Bueckers can also take that matchup if necessary."

Then again, the Athletic also sees that Huskies defense having trouble containing Clark the way she's playing right now.

Even with each team being held off in low-scoring games in this tournament, the argument for over 162.5 points to hit is far more compelling. With two top-five offenses facing off in a rematch featuring two of the best players in the game, there promises to be fireworks and plenty of baskets to go along with it. No matter who you choose to win, betting the Over is something I think most fans and bettors can agree on.