WNBA Best Bets
Covers.com
Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx (-2, 152.5)
The timing wasn't ideal for the Minnesota Lynx, who were forced to replace their coach just three days before the season opener.
The Lynx will play their first game under new coach Jennifer Gillom on Saturday night when they host the Chicago Sky, who enter their fourth season in the league looking for their first winning record.
Minnesota suffered its fourth straight losing season in 2008 with a 16-18 mark, but opted to bring back coach Don Zierden for a third season. The Minneapolis native, though, surprised the franchise Wednesday when he resigned to become an assistant with the Washington Wizards.
That left the Lynx in a bind, and they turned to Gillom, who played in the WNBA from 1997-2003 and was an assistant under Zierden last year.
Pick: Chicago +2
San Antonio Silver Stars at Phoenix Mercury (-2, 163)
After its first WNBA finals experience ended with a major disappointment, San Antonio has championship expectations in 2009.
The defending Western Conference champion Silver Stars open their season Saturday night at US Airways Center where they'll face a Phoenix Mercury team looking to regain its championship form.
San Antonio finished with a franchise-best 24-10 record last season, going 14-0 versus Eastern Conference teams. The Silver Stars, though, lost the first two games of the finals at home then were swept in three by the Detroit Shock.
However, with Becky Hammon, Sophia Young and Vickie Johnson back, San Antonio is targeting much more than just the league's best regular-season record and another conference championship banner.
"We're going to continue to grow and try to win a championship," Johnson said.
Hammon averaged 17.6 points and 4.9 assists per game last season while Young finished fourth in MVP voting, averaging 17.5 points and 5.6 rebounds.
The Silver Stars will be without center Ann Wauters until later in the season due to personal reasons. She scored 14.7 points per game in 2008 and was sixth in the league in rebounding (7.5).
Ruth Riley and 6-foot-8 Katie Mattera, signed in the offseason, will try to fill the void left by Wauters.
Guard Shanna Crossley is back after missing last season with a torn ACL, and Belinda Snell signed with San Antonio in the offseason after not playing in the WNBA in 2008. She averaged 3.4 points in three seasons (2005-07) with the Mercury.
Pick: San Antonio +2
DETROIT (29 - 14) at LOS ANGELES (23 - 17)
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 3-1 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 2-2 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON (10 - 24) at CONNECTICUT (22 - 15)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 12-22 ATS (-12.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 96-133 ATS (-50.3 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 78-107 ATS (-39.7 Units) in road games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 115-149 ATS (-48.9 Units) in May, June, or July games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 100-133 ATS (-46.3 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-3 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 4-4 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE (23 - 14) at SACRAMENTO (19 - 18)
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 4-3 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
SACRAMENTO is 4-3 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA (18 - 19) at ATLANTA (4 - 30)
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 64-93 ATS (-38.3 Units) in road games since 1997.
INDIANA is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) in road games on Saturday games since 1997.
ATLANTA is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 2-2 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 3-1 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO (12 - 22) at MINNESOTA (16 - 18)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 3-1 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 3-1 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO (28 - 15) at PHOENIX (16 - 18)
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 115-83 ATS (+23.7 Units) in home games since 1997.
PHOENIX is 73-50 ATS (+18.0 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1997.
Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 4-4 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 5-4 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons