Sunday's Best WNBA Bets
Minnesota Lynx at Atlanta Dream (-3.5, 169.5)
The Lynx entered the 2011 WNBA season with high hopes. And so far, Minnesota is meeting those expectations thanks to some high scores.
The Lynx are on a four-game win streak since dropping the season opener and have filled the basket in recent outings. They hung 96 points on the Dream Friday night and are averaging 84.5 points during this winning run.
Minnesota had four starters in double figures, lead by Seimone Augustus’ 25 points. The Lynx are crediting their offensive explosion to transition buckets created off their tough defense. They nabbed nine steals and forced 18 turnovers in the win over Atlanta, turning those into 27 fastbreak points.
"We got back to what we do well, and that's defend," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told the Star Tribune. "If you look at that third quarter, we really defended well and got a lot of run-outs, and that's how we built that lead."
Minnesota has played over the total in three of its first five games while the over has paid out in 20 of the Dream’s last 28 home games.
Pick: Over 169.5
Seattle Storm at Los Angeles Sparks (-1, 149)
It's billed as a battle between Western giants,but this conference rivalry has been one-sided in recent years.
The Storm defeated the Sparks in all seven meetings last season, posting a 5-1-1 mark against the spread in those contests. Seattle made quick work of Los Angeles in the playoffs, sweeping L.A. in the best 2-of-3 series while outscoring the Sparks 160-132 in those two games.
Things may be more competitive now that Candace Parker is back for Los Angeles after missing most of last year due to a shoulder injury. Parker is averaging just over 17 points through the first three contests, but didn’t make much of an impact versus the Storm when she was healthy last year.
In three games against Seattle, Parker averaged just under 16 points and committed 15 total turnovers while drawing the attention of the Storm’s WNBA-best defense. Seattle is giving up only 68.7 points per game this year and will shadow Parker with All-Star forwards Lauren Jackson and Swin Cash.
Pick: Seattle
WNBA Odds: LA Sparks, Seattle playoff rematch
By: Ryan Mercier
A rematch of the Western Conference Semifinals in last year’s 2010 WNBA Playoffs is on the way on the Sunday docket as the Seattle Storm travel to Los Angeles to take on the Sparks. The women’s basketball action tips off at 5:30 p.m. (PT).
In that series, the eventual champion Storm defeated the Sparks two games to none. Los Angeles could only muster up 66 points in each contest while the Storm scored 79 in Game 1 and 81 in Game 2.
Swin Cash led the charge in the first game while the league and Finals MVP Lauren Jackson scored 24 in the second.
Star forward Candace Parker, of course, missed much of last season and the playoffs for L.A.
Parker should make a difference in the matchup this Sunday. Her game is going strong in many areas so far this year. That should not be much of a surprise, but when anyone comes back from injury and misses significant time one wonders how that player will perform.
Through three games this year she is averaging 17.3 points, 8.3 boards and even 3.7 assists. That rebounding average would actually be a career low, so expect that number to go up.
The Sparks are coming off a game in which they had an offensive explosion and beat the Phoenix Mercury, 98-84. Parker scored 22 while also dishing out 5 assists in the victory.
While they have only played two games thus far this season, Lauren Jackson has yet to really get going for the Storm. She is shooting only about 38 percent from the field and had zero free throw attempts in their second game against the Minnesota Lynx. Seattle lost that game 81-74 even though Sue Bird scored 24 points.
Bird has started off the year pretty well with two different kinds of games, the aforementioned high scoring against the Lynx and a 13-point, 10-assist performance against the Mercury.
Seattle will play another game before traveling to L.A. where they host the Indiana Fever on Friday.
The last five times these teams have met, the score has gone ‘under’ the total. Keep in mind, though, that the last four were all without Parker.
CHICAGO vs. CONNECTICUT
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chicago's last 9 games when playing Connecticut
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Connecticut
Connecticut is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Connecticut is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
MINNESOTA vs. ATLANTA
Minnesota is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
INDIANA vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Indiana is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Phoenix's last 19 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games
SEATTLE vs. LOS ANGELES
Seattle is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Seattle's last 14 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 5-16 ATS in its last 21 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Los Angeles's last 14 games when playing at home against Seattle
CHICAGO (3 - 1) at CONNECTICUT (3 - 1)
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 4-4 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 5-3 straight up against CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA (4 - 1) at ATLANTA (1 - 4)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 68-99 ATS (-40.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
ATLANTA is 27-14 ATS (+11.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-2 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 3-2 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA (3 - 2) at PHOENIX (0 - 3)
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 72-107 ATS (-45.7 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
INDIANA is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) as a road underdog of 3 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 58-84 ATS (-34.4 Units) against Western conference opponents since 1997.
INDIANA is 58-84 ATS (-34.4 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
PHOENIX is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 5-4 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 5-4 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE (2 - 1) at LOS ANGELES (2 - 1)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 5-18 ATS (-14.8 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 7-6 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 10-4 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons