Iowa’s victory over LSU in Monday’s Elite Eight rematch of last year’s Women’s NCAA Tournament final scored historic marks for more than television ratings.
FanDuel reported that the Hawkeyes’ victory was the most bet-on event of the day, beating out all NBA, MLB and NHL games, and 28 percent higher than last year’s championship game.
Meanwhile, BetMGM said it was the most bet-on women’s sporting event in the sportsbook’s history, also beating out LSU’s win in last year’s title game.
“Both women’s NCAA tournament games last night outperformed all six NBA games in total bets and handle,” trading manager Seamus Magee said. “LSU vs. Iowa was the most bet women’s basketball game ever, and UConn vs. USC was top 3. It was a special night for the game and for the sportsbook as we saw record handles in both pregame and live in-play action.”
Iowa opened as a 1.5-point favorite, with the line moving to 2.5 points by game time. The result paid out for the 65 percent of those who wagered on the Hawkeyes’ spread line.
However, the Over was a notable win for the sportsbook, with 64 percent of the public backing the Under on 167.5 points. The final score was Iowa 94, LSU 87 for a total of 181 points.
Iowa is a 2.5-point favorite at BetMGM ahead of its Final Four game against UConn, while undefeated South Carolina is an 11.5-point favorite against North Carolina State.
South Carolina also remains the heavy -200 favorite to win the title, followed by Iowa (+300), UConn (+700) and N.C. State (+1400).
Sportsbooks are wary of an N.C. State run to the title. The Wolfpack opened the tournament at +6000 at DraftKings, where they are still heavy longshots at +1600. The book reported that Iowa at +330 has been the most popular wager to win the title over the past 24 hours.
–Field Level Media