WNBA Best Bets for Wednesday, June 7
Depending on whether or not you got the best of the number, all three dogs were able to (barely) cover in Tuesday’s games, making underdogs 16-2 ATS in the last 19 games played. Can Minnesota and Phoenix keep the (sweaty) covers coming?
Minnesota Lynx at New York Liberty -14.5, 161.5
The Lynx finally earned their first win in their last outing, an 80-78 victory at the Mystics, and are now 1-6 SU, 3-4 ATS. Minnesota has started to put a semblance of offense together, which is no surprise given the veteran presence on this team, but the defense leaves a lot to be desired. Overall, they are very much in rebuild mode and don’t seem particularly motivated to actually win games. However, covering is another matter because they are currently on a three-game streak of covering the spread, and all three games were versus solid competition. If they can continue to find ways to score, despite vacancies in some key roles, they could help push this over the total.
The Liberty are back at home again and coming off a home loss to the Sky. New York has only covered twice this season and currently have the second-worst turnover percentage in the league. With that in mind, and so many points up for grabs, I’d lean taking the points with the Lynx. The Liberty are certainly still feeling out this new super team offense, but this talented lineup is heavily benefitting from Courtney Vandersloot’s effortless distribution. She has had eight or more assists in five straight games and had ten in their most recent contest.
Courtney Vandersloot Over 8.5 Assists
Lean Lynx +14.5
Phoenix Mercury at Dallas Wings -3.5, 162.5
Phoenix last played on Friday in an overtime loss to the Sparks at home, 92-85. Now they are on the road facing a Dallas team that is riding a two-game losing streak, having lost to the Mystics and the Sun. Last season, these two teams played four times and saw three overs hit. Each team won two games, with the winning team also getting the cover. This season, the Wings have continued to excel on offense, now third in offensive rating and second overall in pace. So, it’s no surprise Dallas started the year off with four straight overs. The two unders in their last two games were against tough defenses on the road. They are back at home now, facing a struggling Mercury squad, so I’ll be looking for another over.
Not a lot has gone right for the Mercury so far. Sophie Cunningham is still working through a minor knee injury she sustained in a preseason game, but she has still been able to score in double digits the past two games. Phoenix’s lone win this season was over the Minnesota Lynx (1-6 SU), a game in which Diana Taurasi’s racked up 23 points and 10 assists. The Mercury are currently 10th in defensive rating, 10th in offensive rebounding percentage, and have by far the highest turnover percentage. Pair that with the Wings’ bevy of scoring options, and we are likely to see an over,
Over 162.5
Lean Dallas -3.5