The WNBA never disappoints with intrigue and that applies to bettors as much as fans. With just two days left before the All-Star break this season, there’s plenty to note amidst three games Wednesday night.
Today’s contests present two opportunities to evaluate on the totals and another contest that bettors might want to avoid. In that game, one of the teams could be without two key players but is facing an opponent that has been skidding of late.
How to watch, the lines, and schedule for Wednesday
All times below are Eastern Daylight Savings and unless otherwise noted, bettors can watch the games on CBS Sports Network. The lines are from WynnBet and valid as of 8 a.m. EDT.
- Chicago Sky (-2) at Minnesota Lynx, 1 p.m., NBA TV (total of 171.5)
- Washington Mystics (-5) at Atlanta Dream, 8 p.m. (total of 156.5)
- New York Liberty at Las Vegas Aces (-10.5), 10 p.m. (total of 169.5)
New York could be without the services of Sami Whitcomb (25.6 minutes, 7.1 points, 3.1 assists per game) tonight, who is marked as questionable for rest. Besides that, there are no other injury updates bettors need to watch for Wednesday.
Take a look at the over for Chicago-Minnesota
Chicago stayed hot to start July, looking to complement a 9-2 month of June as the Sky are on a five-game winning streak. They’ll play back-to-back road games on Wednesday and Thursday before the All-Star break, so bettors might want to keep potential minutes managing in mind on Wednesday afternoon.
These two teams have already played a home-and-home in 2022, with Chicago winning both games but Minnesota taking both contests against the spread. As a home underdog of at least two points, the Lynx have gone 3-2 ATS. At the same time, this is the smallest margin by which they’ve been a home dog all season.
The Sky, on the other hand, have gone just 2-3 ATS as a road favorite of two or more points. The vast majority of the games so far in 2022 featuring either of these teams have seen lower totals.
That includes the two previous meetings, for which the totals sat at 160 and 171. The two teams hit 160 exactly on May 14 in Minnesota while they went over the higher number in Chicago on June 26.
In a combined 36 games at least one of these two teams have played in for which the pre-game total was 171.5 or lower, the over has cashed 20 times.
Consider the other side of the total in Atlanta-Washington
Wednesday night will be the fourth iteration of this matchup this season and the second on Atlanta’s home court. Washington has swept the series so far both ATS and straight up, covering spreads of a single point, seven points, and eight points.
The Dream are 2-3 ATS as a home underdog of five or more points while the Mercury have covered in both opportunities they’ve had to be a road favorite by the same margin. As opposed to today’s first game, the total for this contest ranks on the lower end for these teams.
In the three previous meetings, the under has cashed twice, at 157.5 and 156.5 on May 17 and 20, respectively. The earlier game was an Atlanta home game while the opposite venue was the site for the latter contest. The over of 153.5 hit on June 28 in Washington.
Overall, the under has cashed in 21 of 34 combined games when the total was 156.5 or higher.
Las Vegas-New York poses quite a quandary for bettors
The first meeting of these teams in 2022 comes just days before the All-Star break but also at a time when Las Vegas seems quite mortal. The Aces have lost two of their last three and four of their last six heading into play Wednesday.
The 10.5 points tie the largest margin by which New York has been a road underdog all season and the Liberty covered in that prior instance. As a road dog at any number, New York has gone 4-4 ATS.
The 10.5 points are also the second-largest margin by which Las Vegas has been a home favorite in 2022. They covered in their only game in which they were an 11-point home favorite and as a home favorite overall, the Aces are 5-6 ATS.
New York will for sure be without Rebecca Allen (21.8 minutes, 8.1 points, and 3.4 rebounds per game) Wednesday night. The 169.5 points are the highest total for a Liberty game all season, complicating things for evaluating the total.
In 20 New York games, the under has cashed 11 times. However, 169.5 is among the lowest totals of the season for a Las Vegas contest and the over has hit seven of 15 times when the totals have landed at 169.5 or higher.
