The WNBA odds board lights up with a pair of games Thursday night, with the Phoenix Mercury on the road facing the Dallas Wings (8 p.m. ET) and the Washington Mystics visiting the Las Vegas Aces (10 p.m. ET).
We size up tonight’s odds and give our best bets and WNBA predictions in our daily "Lady Luck".
Phoenix Mercury at Dallas Wings (+5.5, 147.5)
The Wings finally broke into the win column with a victory over Atlanta in their last outing, winning 71-61 as 4-point home underdogs last weekend. However, stringing together a couple “W’s” could be tough, given Thursday’s situation.
The Wings, who rank dead last in the WNBA in scoring (68 ppg) but third in defense (74.7 points against), are missing many key contributors, most recently losing forward and leading rebounder Glory Johnson (international play) and forward and blocks leader Isabelle Harrison (concussion).
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Those roster holes in the frontcourt come at a bad time, with Mercury star bigs Brittney Griner and DeWanna Bonner taking the court Thursday. The pair combined for 46 points and 17 rebounds in the Mercury’s loss to Los Angeles last Friday. The visiting team is also trying to get the sour taste of two bad losses out of its mouth, struggling on the defensive end in both defeats. That shouldn't be too hard to remedy against a Dallas squad shooting just 37.6 percent from the field, including a WNBA-low 26.4 percent from 3-point range.
Phoenix plays a grinding pace and will pound the ball inside against a thin Dallas frontcourt. Expect plenty of points to come from the foul line, where the Mercury lead the WNBA in free-throw percentage. That will push them past the oddsmakers' expectations.
PREDICTION: Phoenix -5.5
Washington Mystics at Las Vegas Aces (-5, 164.5)
WNBA bettors should brace for an exciting opening 20 minutes of basketball when the Mystics come to Sin City Thursday.
Washington and Las Vegas rank No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in first-half scoring in the league, with the Mystics putting up an average of 46.4 points and the Aces amounting 45.4 points in the first two quarters. But, on the other side of the halftime break, these two offenses seem to run out of steam.
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Washington goes from shooting nearly 48 percent in the opening 20 minutes to just 40.2 percent in the second half, and Las Vegas’ accuracy declines from 44.7 percent to 42.3 percent. That has the Mystics averaging only 38 points in the second half – a 8.4-point dip between halves – and the Aces are managing only 39 points in the final two frames – a 6.4-point difference.
Enjoy the first-half fireworks and then call it a night at the break for this late 10 p.m. ET tip.
PREDICTION: Over first-half 82.5
Wednesday's picks: 1-1
Season to date: 19-11
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