West Virginia vs. Iowa Picks, Best Bet: Expect Big Night From Caitlin Clark

Rob Paul

Last Updated: March 25, 2024 7:01 PM EDT • 2 min 53 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes cheers on teammates as we make our West Virginia vs. Iowa prediction and pick for the second round of the NCAA Tournament. — Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes cheers on teammates during the second half against the Holy Cross Crusaders during their match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 23, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images via AFP.

Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes face the West Virginia Mountaineers in the second round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Monday, as we offer our West Virginia vs. Iowa picks and best bet based on the best March Madness odds.

After Caitlin Clark did her thing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the No. 1 seed Iowa Hawkeyes (30-4) will hope for another strong showing from the senior Monday against the No. 8 seed West Virginia Mountaineers (25-7). That second-round matchup will tip off from Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Clark dropped 27 points against Holy Cross in the first round, which marked the 27th straight game with at least 24 points for the runaway favorite by the Women's Wooden Award odds. Concurrently, Iowa also boasts the second-shortest Women's March Madness odds heading into the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

As part of our March Madness predictions, here are our best West Virginia vs. Iowa picks and best bets (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

West Virginia (8) vs. Iowa (1) best bet: Albany 2 Region

Caitlin Clark Over 4.5 made 3-pointers ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -113 via FanDuel

No player in college basketball history is as prolific a 3-point shooter as Clark. She surpassed Steph Curry's NCAA Division-I record of career 3-pointers made earlier in March, and Clark is showing no signs of slowing down. While West Virginia poses a tough test for the All-American, her usage and range should allow her to put together another jaw-dropping performance.

Clark is the only player in women's college basketball taking over 10 3-point attempts per game (13.6), and nobody is as impactful from deep. She's averaging a nation-leading 5.2 made 3-pointers per game in 2023-24 while shooting 38% from behind the arc. The reigning women's Wooden Award winner was even better down the stretch, too.

Clark also averaged 5.9 made 3-pointers on 14.8 attempts per game (39.7%) during Big Ten play while finishing the regular season with at least five made threes in five of her final six contests. While she made just three 3-pointers during an opening-round win over Holy Cross, the Hawkeyes will need more from her against a stingy Mountaineers squad.

West Virginia boasts one of the best defenses in the Big 12 after holding teams to 57.6 points per game. But the squad showed its weak spot during conference play. West Virginia allowed opponents to shoot 32% from three during Big 12 games, and Clark is the ultimate mismatch creator for struggling perimeter defenses. She's hit at least five threes in 20 games this campaign.

At -113 odds via FanDuel, there's a 53.05% implied probability that Clark will hit at least five threes, according to our odds calculator. With those odds, a $10 bet would lead to a $8.85 profit.

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West Virginia vs. Iowa spread & Over/Under analysis

The Hawkeyes opened as a 16.5-point favorite over West Virginia across our best sports betting sites, and we expect that spread to shift another point in Iowa's direction before tipoff. The Hawkeyes have been solid against the spread this season at 18-14, while the Mountaineers are 16-11-1.

With Clark leading the way and Iowa's offense being the best in the country, the game total opened at 163.5 and could balloon to as high as 165.5 come Monday night. The Mountaineers trot out an impressive offense too while ranking among the top 50 in the country in points per game. That's why this total is already sky-high.

West Virginia vs. Iowa game info

When: Monday, March 25
Tip-off: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
How to watch: ESPN

West Virginia-Iowa prediction made Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET.

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Written By:
Rob Paul

A diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan, Rob's passion for the NFL led him to the NFL Draft, which in turn sparked his love for collegiate sports. Growing up, he was particularly obsessed with the old Big East, MAC, and the Big Ten. That obsession led him to pursue a career in sports media, first as a local reporter, and now as a betting analyst. There's nothing Rob loves more than spending hours on the couch watching college football/basketball, NFL, NBA, or MLB, and hopefully hitting a few bets.