NCAAW odds: Paige Bueckers' injury impact on UConn's title odds
When it comes to teams that command national attention every year, we often think about franchises such as the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees and New England Patriots.
There's another squad, though, that comes to mind when we think of consistency and excellence among its competitors. The UConn's women's basketball team.
A perennial favorite of hoops fans and bettors, UConn has won 11 championships, including four consecutive chips from 2013 to 2016.
But this season for the Huskies has been beset with challenges, with the most significant one being losing star guard Paige Bueckers to a knee injury.
From a betting landscape, are the Huskies' national championship odds in jeopardy now that they are potentially playing the rest of the regular season without their key player?
The Huskies' odds to cut down the nets next spring are currently listed at +300, where they've sat all season. Those are third-best odds to win it all at FOX Bet, behind South Carolina and NC State.
So Bueckers' injury — a tibial plateau fracture in the left knee that she suffered against Notre Dame — hasn't affected UConn's title odds … yet. But what impact has the guard's injury had on her team on the court?
Since the 5-foot-11 sophomore from Minnesota has been out, the Huskies dropped a matchup against Georgia Tech 57-44, but bounced back with a comeback victory over UCLA.
FOX Bet sports trader Dylan Brossman shared his thoughts on the Huskies' loss to the Yellow Jackets.
"The 13-point loss to Georgia Tech was surprising, but it was nice to see UConn bounce back with a solid win over UCLA," Brossman said. "If Azzi Fudd and fellow guard Nika Mühl can recover from their lesser injuries in the short-term, UConn should still be able to win a lot of games like we are accustomed to seeing."
The team announced this week that Bueckers underwent surgery to repair the fracture Monday. A timeline for her return is early- to mid-February.
Brossman noted that, with UConn’s final regular-season game set for February 27, Bueckers should still have a few weeks to get up to speed for the postseason.
This year, Geno Auriemma's team is scoring an average of 70.3 points per game during its 6-2 start.
UConn's next big obstacle is getting past No. 6 Louisville on Sunday. The 8-1 Cardinals are on an eight-game winning streak, including an impressive win over No. 14 Kentucky.
How are bookmakers adjusting the line ahead of this weekend's big matchup? According to FOX Bet, the number for the game had already baked in Paige's injury. Instead, it's one of her teammates' availability that has a chance of moving the odds.
"The status of teammate and No. 1 recruit Azzi Fudd remains unclear," Brossman explained. "If the star freshman can return to the court this Sunday, it would provide some much-needed help at guard in Buecker’s absence.
"Look for the line to move upwards of three to four points when Fudd is confirmed in or out."
Paige Bueckers, last season's Naismith National Player of the Year, is expected to be out until at least February. (Photo by Benjamin Solomon/Getty Images)
So, are you wagering on UConn to win it all at +300? Or are you shorting the Huskies' championship chances with Bueckers sidelined?
Get in on the action now at FOX Bet.
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