As both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments get underway, there’s no denying the biggest name in the sport is Iowa guard Caitlin Clark.
After passing “Pistol” Pete Maravich for the record for the most points in NCAA Division I history, Clark has already cemented her status as a basketball legend — and she hasn’t gone pro yet.
The discussions surrounding Clark range from whether she’s the greatest women’s basketball player of all time to whether she’s talented enough to play in the NBA due to her tight handle, quickness and limitless range from deep.
However, there is one thing Clark hasn’t attained at the collegiate level: a National Championship.
Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes fell just short of a title last season, losing in the championship game to the No. 3 seeded LSU Tigers, led by Angel Reese, Alexis Morris and Flau’jae Johnson.
Betting interest in women’s basketball has reached an all-time high behind Clark’s breathtaking play, which means that more wagers will come in on “Ponytail Pete” than ever before.
With that in mind, here’s a look at Clark’s player props for the Hawkeyes’ first-round matchup against the No. 16 seed Holy Cross Crusaders.
Caitlin Clark Player Prop 3/23/24
Caitlin Clark O/U 33.5 Points (-110) – DraftKings
As of Friday afternoon, the line for Caitlin Clark’s points was 33.5, with DraftKings giving identical -110 odds for the Over and the Under.
Clark has averaged 31.9 points per game this season on roughly 46% shooting from the field to go along with 38% from behind the arc and 86% from the free-throw line.
Clark’s been even better as of late, averaging 33.2 points per game over her last 14 games.
She scored 34+ points seven times during that stretch. That said, she’s only scored 34 or more in two of her past seven outings.
This could be a tricky spot to back the Over due to this game’s blowout potential. As of Friday afternoon, the Hawkeyes were 38.5-point favorites.
While Clark could have a monstrous first half against the Crusaders, she’s probably going to spend most of the second half on the bench once the game turns into a blowout.
For reference, Clark played just 29 minutes in last year’s Round of 64 game against Southeastern Louisiana, posting 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting in a game the Hawkeyes won by 52 points.
Iowa also ranks fifth in the NET rankings, while Holy Cross is 186th. The Hawkeyes were sixth in NET last year, while Southeastern Louisiana was 159th.
There is a more significant talent disparity between the Hawkeyes and their Round of 64 opponent this time, so don’t expect the game to be close.
Since we are projecting a blowout, we can’t justify backing the Over on Clark’s points.
Clark is the Hawkeyes’ offensive engine, so coach Lisa Bluder will likely pull Clark early to help keep her fresh for the rest of the tournament.
With that in mind, the best thing to do on Saturday is plug your nose and fade greatness—at least for this round.
Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images
