The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments sports betting saw record success this year. The women saw record numbers in viewership, the men saw a repeat champion, and the sportsbooks cashed in. Favorites were the play on the men’s side, while Caitlin Clark brought viewers and bettors to the game. Clark’s effect on the game is already being felt in the WNBA, with televised games and betting specials already in her favor.
Caitlin Clark Brings Viewers, Bettors To Tournament, Men’s Tourney Cashes for Sportsbooks
Caitlin Clark put women’s sports back on the map this basketball season. Her amazing collegiate career captured the country’s attention. Clark’s scoring ability drew fans in, and when you watched her play, you realized she was so much more than a scorer. She put herself in position for rebounds and found teammates cutting to the basket.
Even though her Iowa Hawkeyes lost in the national championship game, her play drew newfound attention to women’s basketball and even women’s sports betting.
The national championship game, which South Carolina won 87-75 to complete an undefeated season, was the most-watched women’s basketball game ever, according to ESPN. Citing Nielsen Fast Nationals, the network said the game drew an average of 18.7 million viewers. The game peaked at 24 million viewers.
The next two highest-rated games both included Clark in this tournament. The Final Four matchup with UConn drew 14.2 million viewers. Clark’s Elite Eight matchup against LSU drew 12.3 million viewers.
“These exceptional athletes, coaches, and teams captured our attention in unprecedented ways, and it’s incumbent on all of us to keep the incredible momentum going,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. “I’m also very proud of our talented and committed employees for how they presented this historic event.”
The Clark effect is already hitting the WNBA. Clark is expected to be drafted first by the Indiana Fever. The league already announced that the Fever will be featured in 36 nationally televised or internet-broadcast games, one more game than the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
Sportsbooks Cashing In On Clark’s Popularity
The interest didn’t stop, or maybe even start, there. The women’s tournament sports betting was off the charts. According to several sportsbooks, the women’s national championship game was the most-bet women’s sporting event.
FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM confirmed it was their most-bet women’s sporting event. ESPN BET and Caesar announced it was their most-bet women’s college basketball contest.
FanDuel said that the Elite Eight and Final Four games in this tournament were record-breaking games before the championship. The sportsbook added that the national championship beat the Iowa-UConn game in handle by 22 percent. FanDuel added that it also garnered a 155 percent increase in handle and 205 percent increase in bet count over the 2023 national championship.
ESPN reported that ESPN BET saw 20 percent more bets in the championship game than it did in Friday’s Iowa-UConn game.
It’s interesting to note that sports betting is legal in Iowa and Connecticut but not in South Carolina.
Clark’s WNBA Betting Lines Begin
FanDuel already has many Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark WNBA betting lines and specials listed.
Among the Fever bets are 25 or more wins for +165, to make the playoffs for -215, and to win the championship +2000.
The Clark betting lines include -250 to lead the team in scoring, -150 for the first basket to be a three-pointer, -135 to average 22+ points for the season, and -115 to make 130 three-pointers. The sportsbook also has her at +250 to record 3+ triple-doubles and +340 to make 1+ three-pointer in every 2024 regular-season game.
Indiana is a legal sports betting state. It’s unclear if the Fever have an official sports betting partner.
Clark has several sponsorships thanks to the college’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), which doesn’t allow athletes to sign with sportsbooks.
Men’s Basketball Tournament Betting Records
After the American Gaming Association predicted record-setting NCAA Tournament sports betting, the sportsbooks are confirming it on the men’s side as well.
DraftKings reported a record NCAA tournament, adding that the men’s championship game on Monday night was the most bet college basketball game all-time for the sportsbook. FanDuel also saw an increase, with a 52 percent increase in the number of bets and a 42 percent increase in handle. Caesars Sportsbook added that UConn’s win over Purdue saw the most single-game parlays ever placed on a college basketball game.
According to CNBC, Geolocation tracking company GeoComply reported a 42 percent increase in checks over the 2023 tournament.
Portnoy Cashes In
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy won big thanks to the Huskies win. Back on March 20, he placed a $600,000 bet on UConn to win the title and, as a result, cashed in $2.76 million.
“The greatest bet of my life,” Portnoy said on X. “The biggest win of my life by a mile.”