2024 NCAA Women's Basketball: defending champion LSU leads preseason championship odds

As the women's college basketball regular season draws closer, preseason chatter surrounding the coming season has started to ramp up. With that chatter has come early odds for who will win the championship at the end of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

The reigning champion LSU Tigers (+350) lead the preseason odds as of Tuesday afternoon, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Rounding out the top three in championship betting odds are UConn (+500) and Iowa (+900).

According to a few articles written ahead of the 2022-23 season, LSU didn't even crack the top 10 in preseason championship odds before going on to win their first title in school history. Yet, for at least the second straight year, the reigning champions lead current preseason odds after South Carolina was the heavy favorite entering last season.

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Women's college basketball preseason favorites to win 2024 national championship

Though the future national champion may not have cracked the top 10 in preseason odds just yet, these teams are the ones that have ahead of regular season play.

• LSU Tigers (+350)

• UConn Huskies (+500)

• Iowa Hawkeyes (+900)

• Utah Utes (+950)

• South Carolina Gamecocks (+1100)

• Indiana Hoosiers (+1400)

• Ohio State Buckeyes (+1800)

• UCLA Bruins (+1800)

• Virginia Tech Hokies (+2000)

• Tennessee Volunteers (+2200)

Women's basketball Coaches Poll: LSU voted No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports women's college basketball preseason poll

Women's college basketball preseason Coaches Poll top 10

In further preseason news, USA Today Sports released the first edition of the 2023-24 Coaches Poll on Tuesday, and there are some noticeable differences between the poll and betting odds outside of the top three.

According to the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll, the 32 members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association voted the following teams into the top 10 of their preseason rankings.

1. LSU Tigers (29 first place votes)

2. UConn Huskies (3 first place votes)

3. Iowa Hawkeyes

4. South Carolina Gamecocks

5. Virginia Tech Hokies

6. Ohio State Buckeyes

7. Utah Utes

8. UCLA Bruins

9. Indiana Hoosiers

10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Last year, the eventual champion LSU Tigers were ranked No. 14 in the preseason Coaches Poll, climbing as high as No. 2 in early February and dropping to No. 6 before the tournament began. South Carolina, who were undefeated until they fell to Iowa in the Final Four, were No. 1 from the preseason poll up through the start of the tournament.

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When does women's college basketball season start?

The 2023-24 women's college basketball season tips off Monday, Nov. 6 with a full slate of games across Division I. The LSU Tigers will begin their title defense against the No. 18 Colorado Buffaloes at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Nancy Armour column: The madness in women's college basketball will continue. And that's a great thing.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LSU, UConn lead preseason odds for women's basketball championship