Caitlin Clark has had an immeasurable impact on women’s college basketball the last couple of years, and that’s translated in the world of betting where several sportsbooks offered individual game props for the first time this season and expanded their market of women’s games to bet on.
When the biggest supernova creating that change clashed with another of the sport’s biggest attractions, LSU, in the Elite Eight Monday — a rematch of last year’s national championship — it was bound to take that trajectory of women’s college basketball betting to another level. That’s exactly what happened.
The public hammered Clark and the Hawkeyes, correctly predicting they’d cover as 1.5-point favorites and avenge their heart-breaking loss to LSU. According to data collected by ESPN, Iowa was the bet on 74.1% of the tickets on the spread at ESPN Bet (76.4% handle), 71% of tickets at BetMGM (76% handle) and 67% of tickets at DraftKings (71% handle).
They Hawkeyes also drew an overwhelming 82.1% of action at Fanatics Sportsbook (75.9% handle).
What stood out more than the lopsided nature of the betting, though, is the sheer number of bets and money wagered on the game in general. BetMGM announced it was the sportsbook’s most-bet women’s basketball game ever, and DraftKings confirmed the same with BetFTW, saying the game was its most-bet women’s college basketball game by both handle and bets.
Caesars’ director of trading Craig Mucklow told BetFTW’s Ben Fawkes it was the sportsbook’s most bet women’s college basketball game ever too, easily eclipsing last year’s final.
Props were a factor that volume too. At BetMGM, there were more bets on Clark’s props Monday than any other player in basketball — on a night six NBA games were played and UConn and USC met in the other Elite Eight game.
Like her team, Clark delivered, going for 41 points with nine 3-pointers, seven rebounds and 12 assists to hit the over on each stat, with the lines set at 31.5 points, 5.5 3-pointers, 9.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds.
So, it wasn’t only a good night for Iowa and Clark. It was a good night for the public too.
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