How to watch Jackson State vs. UConn: Odds, stream, TV channel in Women's NCAA Tournament
UConn won four straight NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournaments from 2013-17. The Huskies haven’t won it all since. On Saturday, head coach Geno Auriemma will look return the program to its previous heights as No. 3 seed UConn squares off against No. 14 seed Jackson State in the opening weekend of the NCAAW Tournament.
UConn is 29-5 this season. Most recently, the Huskies reeled in the Big East Tournament title with a convincing 78-42 triumph over Georgetown. The team is led by All-American guard Paige Bueckers, who averages 21.3 points per game while shooting 53.8% from the field and 42.4% from deep.
How to watch Jackson State vs. UConn
Date: Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Gampel Pavilion — Storrs, CT
TV Channel: ABC
Live Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Odds for Jackson State vs. UConn
Las Vegas isn’t optimistic for Jackson State. The Huskies are 34.5-point favorites in the showdown, according to FanDuel. In UConn’s previous three opening games of the NCAA Tournament, the team has averaged a 43.7-point win margin. FanDuel also listed the game’s point total over/under at 135.5 points.
If UConn plays its typical style, it’ll easily meet its half of Vegas’ expectations. The Huskies average 80.8 points per game this season, the 13th most in the country. In contrast, the Jackson State Lady Tigers average 71.6 points per contest.
UConn will be hungry for success this March. The team fell in the Sweet 16 last season in surprise fashion. Further, this is the first year UConn has not been either a one or two seed since 2005. The Huskies have not lost since Feb. 11 when they faced off against No. 1 South Carolina.
Geno Auriemma embraces dark horse role
Auriemma doesn’t mind the change of pace. Ahead of the NCAA Tournament, the longtime head coach addressed UConn’s unusual underdog status.
“The players at UConn today have a unique opportunity,” Auriemma said during the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce breakfast Monday. “They are actually going into an NCAA Tournament as underdogs. That never happens at Connecticut. You are always expected to win the whole thing.
“We won 31 games last year and we lost in the Sweet 16 and everybody said, ‘The program is dead. The demise of the UConn program.’ Because you’re supposed to win all the time. And not just win all the time, win a national championship all the time. So, when no one’s expecting you to win it, that’s a little bit of a motivator in itself.”