X map shows UConn, Iowa are most popular picks to win March Madness
UConn is a fan favorite to repeat as the men's NCAA Tournament champion this year, while the Caitlin Clark effect has most of the United States backing Iowa in the women's tournament, according to new X data.
A map created by BetOnline.ag based on over 360,000 geotagged tweets sent out since Selection Sunday shows a majority of fans expect UConn and Iowa to win the 2024 NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, respectively.
On the men's side, No. 1 seeded UConn was favored in 17 states, followed by North Carolina with 13 states and Purdue with six states.
No. 1 Iowa is the most popular pick to win the women's tournament in 37 states, with South Carolina (six states) and UConn (four states) rounding out the top three.
Here are the full results:
Men's tournament
UConn: 17 states
North Carolina: 13 states
Purdue: 6 states
Houston: 4 states
Arizona: 2 states
Kentucky: 1 state
Tennessee: 1 state
Illinois: 1 state
Iowa State: 1 state
Marquette: 1 state
Kansas: 1 state
Creighton: 1 state
Auburn: 1 state
Women's tournament
Iowa: 37 states
South Carolina: 6 states
UConn: 4 states
LSU: 2 states
Ohio State: 1 state