Saturday's Best WNBA Bets
Chicago Sky at Minnesota Lynx (-2.5, 162.5)
The Sky and Lynx can take comfort that at least one team will pick up its second win of the season when these two basement teams meet in Minny Saturday.
Chicago and Minnesota are both off to slow 1-4 starts, however, the Sky are coming off a big win over the Seattle Storm Thursday, handing the Storm their first defeat of the 2010 season with an 84-75 victory as 2-point home underdogs.
Sylvia Fowles led the way with 19 points for Chicago while Cathrine Kraayeveld netted 12 of her 14 points in the second half.
"That's the beauty of our team, we've got players that can come off the bench and give us a lot of spark," Fowles told reporters. "They came out with a lot of energy and kept the lead up. You can't ask for more than that."
The Lynx, on the other hand, are coming off a 105-79 beating from the Connecticut Sun. Minnesota is still without stars Candace Wiggins (questionable for Saturday) and Simone Augustus (out until June).
Pick: Chicago
Indiana Fever at Tulsa Shock (+4.5, 154)
In the whacky world of the WNBA, you’ve got to pull the trigger quickly with only 34 games on the schedule. That sometimes means trading players on a whim – to teams you play this week.
The Shock did that very same move, sending talented second-year guard Shavonte Zellous to the Fever for a second-round pick in next year’s WNBA Draft. Zellous was outstanding for the Shock (when the franchise was in Detroit) last season, averaging almost 12 points in her rookie season. This year, she’s scoring just four points per game but should get a lot of floor time in a thin Indiana backcourt.
Zellous should also bring an inside edge against her former team. Not only does she know each player inside and out but she also knows the Shocks' offensive and defensive schemes. Women’s hoops fans should expect an informed Fever team to be one step ahead of Tulsa Saturday.
Pick: Indiana
CHICAGO vs. MINNESOTA
Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games at home
Minnesota is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home
INDIANA vs. TULSA
Indiana is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Tulsa
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Tulsa
Tulsa is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Tulsa is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home