This Wednesday, we have a star-studded three-game slate that should deliver plenty of entertaining basketball.
The Seattle Storm travel to Arizona to take on the Phoenix Mercury. The Chicago Sky will look for their first win of the season when they host the New York Liberty. Both the Los Angeles Sparks and Atlanta Dream will try to stay undefeated when they match up on Wednesday.
Here’s a look at the matchups, odds and storylines.
All odds via Tipico Sportsbook.
Los Angeles Sparks (-5.5) vs. Atlanta Dream
One of the W’s four remaining undefeated teams will claim their first loss tonight. Who will it be?
Though only two games in, the Sparks (2-0) have looked great — specifically on offense. Led by Liz Cambage’s 17.0 points per game, LA has five players averaging at least 12.0 points. Such balance has made the Sparks the highest-scoring team in the WNBA (92.5 ppg), a drastic improvement from last season when they were the W’s lowest-scoring team (72.8). But they meet the league’s stingiest defense today. It’s a small sample size, but the Dream (1-0) only allowed 59 points to the Dallas Wings in their opener.
Matchups aside, there’s another fun storyline here. This off-season, a huge trade between the teams sent Erica Wheeler to the South and Chennedy Carter to the West. And then there’s Nia Coffey who left LA for Atlanta during free agency. Should be a fun game to watch.
Game Lines
Spread: Sparks -5.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Sparks (-220), Dream (+175)
Point Total: Over 161.5 (-112), Under 161.5 (-108)
The Pick: Sparks ML
New York Liberty vs. Chicago Sky (-4.5)
Although both the Liberty (1-0) and Sky (0-1) have just one game under their belt, we know what to expect from this matchup. Both play this modern, up-tempo basketball style that showcases the versatility on each roster.
There are three matchups that will make this game a great one:
Courtney Vandersloot vs. Sabrina Ionescu — both will take turns chewing up the opposition’s pick-and-roll defenses to find rolling bigs and spot-up shooters along the perimeter. Candace Parker vs. Natasha Howard — it doesn’t matter whether they’re technically fours or fives, each will control the interior and perimeter on both ends of the court. Betnijah Laney vs. Kahleah Copper — in terms of wing talent, these two are some of the best in the W; they absolutely bring it on defense while being able to score at all levels on offense.There’s a reason why this game, of the three total on Wednesday, get’s the national TV slot. Don’t miss it.
Game Lines
Spread: Sky -4.5 (-120)
Moneyline: Sky (-210), Liberty (+170)
Point Total: Over 165.5 (-108), Under 165.5 (-112)
The Pick: Liberty ML
Seattle Storm (-4.5) vs. Phoenix Mercury
Legends Share the Court
Anytime you get Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird together you get entertainment. We saw that as recently as the NCAA Women’s Final Four. And as the two former UConn teammates and WNBA greats take the floor on Wednesday, that shouldn’t change.
The Mercury (0-1) started the season on a bad note — losing the home-opener (to the Aces) by nearly 20 points isn’t ideal. And while their Big 3 isn’t whole yet, they’ll get Brianna Turner back in the lineup to help aid Phoenix’s defense and rebounding alongside Tina Charles. The Storm (1-1) will also look to rebound from a loss to the Aces. While not in mid-season form by any means, their Big 3 is available and looking quite good.
The East Coast crowd will have to stay up late for this one, but a Bird-Taurasi matchup is always worth sacrificing sleep.
Game Lines
Spread: Storm -4.5 (-112)
Moneyline: Storm (-205), Mercury (+165)
Point Total: Over 164.5 (-115) Under 164.5 (-107)
The Pick: Storm (-4.5)
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