Final Four: Bettors love Iowa and Caitlin Clark ahead of semifinal matchup vs. UConn
The Hawkeyes are 2.5-point favorites over the Huskies
Bettors are extremely bullish on Iowa and Caitlin Clark against UConn on Friday night.
Nearly 90% of bets and money at BetMGM are on Iowa to cover as a 2.5-point favorite, and Clark’s props are also extremely popular. The three most-bet props on the game are all on Clark’s overs. Bettors love her to go over 33.5 points, have more than 5.5 made 3-pointers and to dish out more than 9.5 assists.
Clark, the Naismith award winner and college basketball’s all-time scoring leader, had 41 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in Iowa’s Elite Eight win against LSU.
The Hawkeyes have been the most popular bet to win the national title all season. That’s due largely to Clark’s popularity and the fact that sports betting is legal in the state of Iowa.
It’s worth noting, however, that the spread for Iowa and UConn hasn’t moved toward the Hawkeyes despite all the money and bets on Iowa. With 85% of bets and 88% of the money on the Hawkeyes, the 2.5-point spread is the same as when it opened. Oddsmakers could feel that UConn has a better chance of covering or even winning straight up than bettors do.
The Huskies entered the NCAA tournament as a No. 3 seed but won their regional on Monday night with an 80-73 win over No. 1 seed USC. Paige Bueckers went for 28 points and 10 rebounds.
The money split on the other semifinal is just as extreme as it is in Iowa’s favor. However, there aren’t nearly as many bets on NC State.
The Wolfpack are 11.5-point underdogs to No. 1 South Carolina. The Gamecocks are undefeated and have been dominant for much of the season, but the sharps clearly see something about this line. Just 58% of bets are on NC State to cover and those bets make up 86% of the money bet on the spread. Like the Iowa vs. UConn game, the spread here has also not moved from its opening line despite the money discrepancy.
South Carolina was favored by 15.5 points ahead of its 70-58 Elite Eight win over Oregon State. The Gamecocks also failed to cover in the Sweet 16. South Carolina was a 17.5-point favorite over Indiana but only beat the Hoosiers 79-75 after Indiana outscored South Carolina by 13 points in the second half.
