We have a big time matchup in the WNBA this afternoon as the New York Liberty will visit the Las Vegas Aces in their first rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals. The game will tip off at 3 p.m. ET and will air on ABC.
New York (11-2) is back in action for the first time since last Sunday, where it downed Washington 93-88 to extend its red hot win streak to seven. This was a tight contest all the way until closing moments as Liberty turnovers allowed the then winless Mystics to hang around. However, a Jonquel Jones layup put the NY up by three with 8.1 seconds left and a defensive stop on the other end of the floor effectively iced it. Jones led with 29 points and eight rebounds in the win.
Las Vegas (6-5) has struggled the last couple of weeks but was able to end a three-game losing skid with a 103-99 road victory over Phoenix on Thursday. The Aces trailed by 16 at the start of the second quarter before a 42-point barrage in the period allowed them to grab hold of the lead heading into halftime. This remained a back-and-forth contest late before A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum both drained a pair of clutch free throws late to give the Aces enough cushion to survive. Wilson ended the game with 32 points and 15 rebounds while Jackie Young led the two-time defending champs with 34 points.
On the injury front, Courtney Vandersloot (personal) is listed as doubtful for the Liberty. Meanwhile, Chelsea Gray (lower leg) is questionable for the contest as she has still yet to make her season debut.
Las Vegas is listed as a 2.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, accompanied by a total of 174. The Aces are listed as a -135 moneyline favorite, making the Liberty a +114 underdog.
Liberty vs. Aces, 3 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Aces -2.5
Las Vegas hasn’t been as dominant as its been in year’s past and it is jarring to see that the team is 1-5 against the spread at home heading into today’s game. The defending champs haven’t been sharp defensively and they are allowing opponents to shoot a league-high 39% from three against them this season. However, when it comes to this huge rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals, I’m inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to the champs. I think the Aces will be locked in and looking to make a statement here, so I’ll pick them to cover.
Over/Under: Over 174
These are two of the top scoring offenses in the league with Vegas averaging 87.3 ppg and NY not too far behind with 85.8. These are two teams capable of going on large scoring runs and I think they’ll push each other deep into the fourth quarter with both potentially cracking 90 on the scoreboard. I’ll go with the over here.