Iowa Vs. LSU Rematch Had More Bets Than Any NBA, NHL, MLB Game Monday
Sportsbooks confirmed Tuesday that women's college basketball is turning into a thing. The Elite Eight game between Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes and Angel Reese's LSU Tigers in the 2024 NCAA Tournament was the most bet on women's basketball game ever. Iowa-LSU even surpassed MLB, NBA, and NHL for the most bet sporting event Monday.
This is obviously due to the Caitlin Clark effect, who's become the most popular American women's athlete. The Iowa-LSU game was sports' top-billing Monday because it was a rematch of the 2023 women's NCAA title game when Tigers' All-American Angel Reese taunted Clark at the end of LSU's win.
Caitlin Clark Made Iowa Vs. LSU ‘Must-See’ TV
Sports fans nationwide tuned in to see if Clark could get revenge Monday. And man did she. Clark scored a game-high 41 points while dishing out a game-high 12 assists and grabbing a team-high 7 rebounds. It was a Luka Doncic-esque performance. Like Luka and his Dallas Mavericks, Iowa plays heliocentric basketball with their whole game plan revolving around Clark.
Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark drives to the hole on LSU Lady Tigers guard Flau'jae Johnson in the 2024 NCAA Tournament at MVP Arena in Albany, New York. (Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports)
Also, betting action is as big of an indicator of a sport's popularity as TV ratings. Well, in all fairness, they probably go hand in hand. If people have money on the game, they'll almost certainly watch, which is clearly the case here. All anyone talked about Monday was Iowa-LSU. Reading sportsbooks' report on the money bet for that contest cements that vibe.
Regardless of how you feel about Clark or women's basketball, she is here to stay. Iowa's Final Four, and national championship games, should it advance that far, will be appointment viewing for sports fans. And it's a solid bet that any basketball event with Clark will get people to the betting windows.
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