Caitlin Clark mania: Bettors lining up to take Iowa vs. South Carolina in Final Four
It's rare for any player, man or woman, to suck up all the oxygen at the NCAA tournament.
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark is in that special tier. When you put up a 41-point triple double in an NCAA tournament game, you are an instant legend. Not that Clark wasn't a legend before that ridiculous Elite Eight performance against Louisville. But 41 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds will get anyone's attention.
When the women's Final Four starts back up on Friday night, the highlight will be the heavily favored South Carolina Gamecocks against the Hawkeyes.
Bettors love Clark and the Hawkeyes.
Iowa is a popular bet
The two most popular bets at BetMGM for the Final Four games on Friday are Iowa on the moneyline and Iowa on the point spread.
Iowa +500 to upset South Carolina is the most popular bet. Of all the bets on the moneyline in the South Carolina vs. Iowa game, 90% are on Iowa.
Iowa +11.5 is next on the list. Of all the bets on the point spread for the second game on Saturday, 85% are on the Hawkeyes.
It's rare to see that much of a betting consensus on an NCAA tournament game. Among the two men's Final Four games on Saturday, no side is getting more than 64% of bets on the moneyline or point spread. It's even more surprising that all the bets are against South Carolina, which is 36-0 and seems to be unbeatable.
But bettors are buying into Clark's magical tournament continuing. It's not often you can get the unquestioned best player on the floor in a basketball game as a double-digit underdog. If Clark can pull off this upset her legend will grow, and plenty of bettors will be happy.
