WNBA Best Bets for Thursday, June 1.
Connecticut Sun -7.5 at Minnesota Lynx, 162.5
The Lynx lost their fifth straight game on Tuesday to the Dallas Wings and are still in the hunt for their first win. They are back home after a three-game road trip and will look to build on the offensive improvements we saw in their most recent outing. On Tuesday, for the first time this season, the Lynx started Tiffany Mitchell at point guard who contributed 17 points. Kayla McBride also returned to the starting lineup after missing the last two games, and she recorded a team-high 18 points. However, this game lacked defense overall with both the Winds and Lunx currently ranked no better than ninth in defensive rating.
Additionally, the Minnesota Lynx will be without their second overall pick from this year’s draft, Diamond Miller, who left the last game in the first half after twisting her right ankle. Miller has scored in double digits in two out of her last three games and was well on her way to doing it again before her injury against the Wings.
The Sun comes into the game fresh off their three-point win over the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, which ended up being a high-scoring affair. This team still sits top five in defensive rating and has allowed the least fast break points in the league through their first five games, all while sitting at 11th in pace and effective field goal percentage.
As far as offensive rating, the Sun sits at sixth in the league, while the Lynx are eighth. Connecticut has made a concerted effort to play faster this season, but I think we will see a better defensive effort than what we saw from both teams on Tuesday. The Sun has also been getting caught up in some offensive lulls, and while the Lynx may have turned a corner on that end, they will still be missing Diamond Miller.
Pick: Under 162.5