Current:Home > InvestCaitlin Clark behind increased betting interest in women’s college basketball-InfoLens
Caitlin Clark behind increased betting interest in women’s college basketball
View Date:2024-12-23 14:31:42
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Caitlin Clark’s audacious logo 3-pointers and record-breaking accomplishments have driven sports fans who previously wouldn’t walk across the street to watch women’s basketball to set their DVRs for Iowa games.
Bettors have taken an interest, too, using some of their discretionary money on Clark and the Hawkeyes, the top seed in the Albany Regional 2 of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa plays Holy Cross or UT Martin in the first round Saturday.
Caesars Sportsbook reported the number of bets on women’s college basketball games this season compared to a year ago was 190% higher with 153% more money wagered.
“We saw the momentum slowly build toward the end of the regular season last year and then into the tournament,” said Grant Tucker, who heads up college basketball trading for Caesars. “Obviously, Iowa had that great run all the way to the final. So as the tournament went along, the betting increased. Her superstardom grew.
“It all tied in perfectly when you think of (name, image and likeness) and all the stuff going on. We really have never seen a college athlete like this, especially in the women’s game in any sport.”
Caesars and BetMGM plan to offer proposition bets around Clark, and her popularity has created a spillover effect for other women’s college basketball teams. Tucker said Caesars has gone from posting four or five women’s games on any given day to 12 to 15.
She also has affected futures bets, with Iowa going from 12-1 at Caesars to win the national championship to 6-1 because of the money from casual gamblers. The pros haven’t jumped in, preferring to stick with South Carolina, which is a minus-135 favorite.
“I think what’s great about Caitlin Clark is it’s changed a little bit the dynamics of college basketball,” said Derek Stevens, owner of several downtown Las Vegas casinos, including Circa. “The interest in women’s college basketball has definitely taken a big upturn in the last two seasons, and Iowa and Caitlin Clark is the reason. I think it’s something that’s fun. People are liking it. We’re showing it inside Circa Las Vegas, so it’s pretty awesome to see how this has developed.”
Sheldon Jacobson, who operates the site BracketOdds, said brackets remain enormously more popular for the men’s tournament, at a 60-to-1 ratio, but Clark has created more interest for the women.
“When you have Caitlin Clark playing, the longer the Iowa Hawkeyes survive, the more interest there will be,” Jacobson said. “She’s become a rock star among the women’s basketball players, and that’s great for the game. It’s great for the sport, and I hope it continues. Certainly, she’ll be greatly missed when she finishes her career in just a few weeks.”
Which leaves women’s college basketball at a little bit of a crossroads.
Clark will be a difficult act to follow, though USC freshman JuJu Watkins is showing she might have the game to do just that.
“It’s more than just play, it’s also personality,” Jacobson said. “It’s really the whole gestalt. (Clark) really brings something special to the game. I intentionally watched some of the games on TV when she was playing just because she was so interesting to watch. She brings something special to the game, and that’s great for the sport.”
Tucker said he expects some regression in interest when Clark heads to the WNBA after this season, but her departure won’t completely stall the momentum for women’s college basketball.
“Her stardom is very unique,” Tucker said. “NIL is here to stay. There are more stars to come, but I don’t know if anybody can really be at the level of Caitlin Clark. I wouldn’t say it would go down to how it was four or five years ago, but I don’t know if this is really sustainable long term.”
NOTABLE MEN’S BETTING
Tucker said Creighton and McNeese State have taken some notable action on futures bets for the men’s NCAA Tournament.
As for notable line moves, he said Drake has gone from a pick ‘em with Washington State to a 1 1/2-point favorite, BYU has risen two points to a 10-point favorite over Duquesne and Tennessee has gone from 17 1/2 to 21 points over Saint Peter’s.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Jake Paul's only loss led him to retool the team preparing him to face Mike Tyson
- Celebrate Disability Pride Month and with these books that put representation first
- What are your favorite athletes listening to? Team USA shares their favorite tunes
- 1 week after Trump assassination attempt: Updates on his wound, the shooter
- Missing Ole Miss student declared legally dead as trial for man accused in his death looms
- Rafael Nadal reaches first final since 2022 French Open
- Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry fight results: Who won by TKO, round-by-round fight analysis
- Tour de France results, standings: Tadej Pogačar invincible with Stage 20 victory
- Elon Musk responds after Chloe Fineman alleges he made her 'burst into tears' on 'SNL'
- 4 Dallas firefighters injured as engine crashes off bridge, lands on railway below
Ranking
- McDonald's Version: New Bestie Bundle meals celebrate Swiftie friendship bracelets
- Day of chaos: How CrowdStrike outage disrupted 911 dispatches, hospitals, flights
- Taylor Swift starts acoustic set with call to help fan on final night in Gelsenkirchen
- With GOP convention over, Milwaukee weighs the benefits of hosting political rivals
- 'Unfortunate error': 'Wicked' dolls with porn site on packaging pulled from Target, Amazon
- Shop the Chic Plus Size Fashion Deals at Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale 2024: SPANX, Good American & More
- Inter Miami to honor Lionel Messi’s Copa America title before match vs. Chicago Fire
- The Buck Moon is almost here. Here's when and where to see July's full moon.
Recommendation
-
Gisele Bündchen Makes First Major Appearance Since Pregnancy
-
Apple just released a preview of iOS 18. Here's what's new.
-
Rescue teams find hiker who was missing for 2 weeks in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge
-
Police: 3 killed, 6 wounded in ‘exchange of gunfire’ during gathering in Philadelphia; no arrests
-
New York nursing home operator accused of neglect settles with state for $45M
-
Meet some of the world’s cleanest pigs, raised to grow kidneys and hearts for humans
-
In Idaho, Water Shortages Pit Farmers Against One Another
-
What is Microsoft's blue screen of death? Here's what it means and how to fix it.