LSU vs. UCLA NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: How to watch, odds and predictions for March Madness

After a slow start in the first half against Middle Tennessee, the LSU Tigers were able to find their identity on the court and find a way to win to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16. After being down 36-32 at halftime, the Tigers outscored the Blue Raiders 51-20 to come away with the 83-56 victory.

Tigers' stars Angel Reese and Flau'jae Johnson combined for 41 of LSU's 83 points and Reese added to her double-double with 11 rebounds. Aneesah Morrow also had a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

LSU will now face their toughest matchup yet in the NCAA Tournament as they take on UCLA in the Sweet 16. The Bruins struggled against 7-seed Creighton in the second round, but with rest, both of these teams will be ready to go.

How to watch LSU vs. UCLA in the NCAA Tournament Round 1

Date: Saturday, March 30
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC
Streaming: NCAA March Madness Live I fuboTV

LSU vs. UCLA NCAA Tournament Round 1 odds

With a tough 2-seed vs. 3-seed matchup, there is no surprise this is a close line. LSU is still the favorite even as the 3-seed, but by a slim 3.5-point margin. It also looks like oddsmakers are expecting somewhat of a higher-scoring game in the 70s with a 145 over/under line.

LSU vs. UCLA NCAA Tournament Round 1 prediction

If LSU wins this game, they will have a date with the winner of Iowa-Colorado and a potential rematch of last year's National Championship. However, the Tigers have to worry about getting past UCLA first to even consider a possible date with Caitlin Clark in the Elite Eight.

This is a winnable game for the Tigers if the team that played the second half against Middle Tennessee shows up. If the first-half team shows up, they may put themselves in a hole early that they won't be able to find thier way out of in the end.

LSU will need to be at the top of their game to win this one and head coach Kim Mulkey isn't going to let any outside personal issues affect how she prepares her team. It is going to be a close one that I think will come down to the wire in LSU's favor.