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Another Caitlin Clark effect: Betting interest in women's college basketball grows

Another Caitlin Clark effect: Betting interest in women's college basketball grows
((Only if needed for <RECORD BREAKING HIGHLIGHT.> RECORD BREAKING NIGHTS IN IOWA CITY HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE TO WATCH ON TV. BUT SHANNON EHRHARDT HAS BEEN THERE WITH THE IOWANS WHO WANT TO BE IN THE ROOM STAND UP The silence is deafening right now inside Carver Hawkeye arena... but just outside fans are buzzing ... to see one of the greatest college basketball players of all time. ((TAKE PKG)) NATS 0008: Footsteps WHETHER IT'S A MILE. 9995: crossing guard and old dude 54:54 what one week 2 weeks ago you wouldn't of wanted to do this in the snow! 0007: Cars low angle OR HUNDREDS. 59:50 Michigan, so like 7 hours 0010: Laughter in packed line PEOPLE WILL LEAVE BEHIND THEIR BELONGINGS. 0009: Usher Outside 11:54 "REMEMBER bags are 4.5 by 6 or 12x12 clear bag at all times. So the bag that the young lady has over there is too big (shaky video toward the end) PRAY THEIR TICKET SCANS. nats of tickets scanning SO THAT THEY CAN JOIN AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB... nats OF EYE- WITNESSING CAITLIN CLARK. 0054 (NAT) Little girls screaming into camera Let's go CC 2 HOURS BEFORE TIP-OFF ... THE ARENA SWELLS WITH FANS. BUT IT WASN'T ALWAYS THIS WAY. 0044 Judy Schwartz 45:00 No we used to have the curtains down many years ago NOW? 0064 Seth right next to her, she's right there WHEN SHE DROPS THREE... 0046 Teenage girls 50:49 "Caitlin!" (waving) AFTER THREE... 0046 teenage girls 50:52 yes caitlin! From the logo, from the logo AFTER... 0048 teenage girls 51:47 "threeee" (through the iphone) AND THERE'S NO NEED TO ZOOM IN. 0064 Seth Bailey 13:52 we got here early enough to watch her shoot and of course she's the only one out there. 0065 Savannah Bailey (little girl) 16:20 she was taller than in the video ANOTHER LINE? 0044: JUDY SCHWARTZ 46:10 I just wanna go out and play basketball the rest of my life, you feel like your invincible and the thing every basket she makes you feel it with pride and excitement SO MUCH SO... FANS FEEL LIKE THEY KNOW HER 0048 52:04 nooo caitlin come back (going into locker room) WHEN SHE DOES.... Might take out? 0044: Judy 46:10 Very proud to be from iowa, that's it (emotion?) JAWS DROP... 0086 woman in yellow looking amazed 02:30 PAáá caitlin clark became the Big 10 all timeááá WOMAN: Wooooo! AND EYES WIDEN. 0113 34:06 little girl with sign sitting with eyes wide. BECAUSE IT'S SHOW TIME. Show pregame hype video ((Kind of want it to be like highlight-ish)) I'm keeping the bites longer if we want that, but feel like we should probably shorten them. I also want to sprinkle in other cutaways in between all of this dialogue. <<<<< 0124 STUDENT 50:15 COME ON, COME ON, (GO CAITLIN) YEAHHHH!! AND ONE! LGGG 0097 OLD HANNAH FAN 14:20 WATCHING CC GET THE INBOUND 0113 SIGN GIRLS 34:28 GO CAITLIN... GO CAITLIN...ANTICIPATES... SHE MAKES IT.... YEAHHHH!!! 0142 ROBERT PRITCHARD 20:17 COME ON CAITLIN LETS GO! YES WOOO!! CLOSE UP 0102 BLACK HAIR 23:50 SHE'S NOT HAPPY, SHE'S GOING TO SCORE! 0098 OLD HANNAH FAN 15:42 WOOOO STAND UP CHEERING 0116 SIGN GIRLS 37:06 GO CAITLIN, GO ALL THE WAY, OH! 0174 CC IN HUDDLE COOL BETWEEN PEOPLE SHOT 0104 BLACK HAIR 26:11 CC 0217 nats Hawkeye flag waving at end of game, fight song THEN FANS WAIT... 0220 Team coming off court, high fiving fans?? VERY... 0227 29:55-30:08 Smushed kids screaming Caitlin 0210: police 22:17 don't push on the gate okay? Just be careful VERY... 0227 30:22-30:30 Smushed kids upwards angle PATIENTLY. 0227 30:37 CC saying there ya go 30:40...down Smushed kids upwards angle PATIENTLY. 0227 30:37 CC saying there ya go 30:40...down the line signing, up close "can I get your shoes" "oh my God oh my God" THE CAITLIN CLARK EFFECT
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Another Caitlin Clark effect: Betting interest in women's college basketball grows
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."Iowa March Madness: How to watch Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes in the NCAA TournamentCaesars 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."Video: Watch the moment Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark broke the NCAA women's scoring recordTucker 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 BETTINGTucker 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.

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.

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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."

Iowa March Madness: How to watch Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes in the NCAA Tournament

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."

Video: Watch the moment Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark broke the NCAA women's scoring record

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.