WNBA picks, predictions for Friday, June 2

The 2023 WNBA season continues on Friday night with a four-game slate highlighted by a handful of teams sitting atop the standings. To begin the night, the New York Liberty (3-1) travels to face the Chicago Sky (3-2) while the Dallas Wings (3-1) take on the Washington Mystics.

For the latter half of the state, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces (4-0) face the Atlanta Dream (2-2), and to wrap up the evening we have the Los Angeles Sparks (1-2) in a head-to-head versus the Phoenix Mercury (1-2).

Here are the odds and spreads for today’s WNBA action, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

New York Liberty at Chicago Sky, 6 p.m. ET

Spread: Liberty -11
Total: 162
Moneyline: Liberty -720, Sky +520

The pick: Liberty -11

After a season-opening 16-point loss to the Mystics, New York has rattled off three-straight wins with leading scorer Breanna Stewart (25.8 PPG) proving to be a seamless addition to her new team. The 11-point spread may feel steep, however, the Liberty have outscored their opponents by an average of 13.6 points throughout their three-game winning streak.

The Sky have lost two of their last three games and while I expect them to play much better back at home, I’m still taking the Liberty to cover and get the win.

Dallas Wings at Washington Mystics, 7 p.m. ET

Spread: Mystics -7
Total: 163.5
Moneyline: Mystics -280, Wings +235

The pick: Wings +7

Dallas is off to a strong start this season, winning three of their first four games with Arike Ogunbowale (25.3 PPG) leading the way as the WNBA’s third-highest scorer to begin the season. The Mystics have split their first two home games of the season, and their second-best league defensive rating (92.0) has largely kept them within reach of every game.

With the exception of the Mystics’ 16-point win in the season opener, the final score for every other contest has come down to seven points or fewer, so I’m not entirely sold on Washington’s ability to both cover the spread and notch the victory on Friday.

Las Vegas Aces at Atlanta Dream, 8 p.m. ET

Spread: Aces -11
Total: 171.5
Moneyline: Aces -750, Dream +550

The pick: Aces -11

There’s been no championship hangover for the Aces to begin the season, as they remain the league’s only unbeaten team while scoring at a league-best 96.5 PPG. They’ve proven to be just as dominant on the other end of the court as they limit their opponents to 71.8 PPG, again a league-best, with an average scoring margin of +24.7. Roll with the defending champs to make it five-straight wins and cover the spread here.

Los Angeles Sparks at Phoenix Mercury, 10 p.m. ET

Spread: Mercury -3
Total: 163
Moneyline: Mercury -155, Sparks +135

The pick: Mercury -3

Los Angeles picked up the win in a convincing 23-point blowout back in the season opener in Southern California, but since then the Sparks have dropped two straight, with the latter coming by way of a 28-point blowout to the Aces. While the Sparks (81.3 PPG) score at just a bit of a higher clip than the Mercury (76.7 PPG), I’m taking the latter coming off their first win of the season and the home crowd likely giving them a boost.