It’s early, but this matchup between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever feels like a potential playoff battle.
Nobody is surprised that the Liberty continues to churn out wins. The defending champions have hit the ground running despite Sabrina Ionescu’s early struggles and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s absence. New acquisition Natasha Cloud has fit like a glove and there’s a feeling that, health permitting, New York could run away with the Eastern Conference.
But the Indiana Fever will have something to say about that. Their core continues to improve: Caitlin Clark moves closer to her lofty ceiling each game, Aliyah Boston is a defensive monster growing as a scorer, and Kelsey Mitchell continues to shoot the cover off the ball. On top of that, new addition Natasha Howard is beginning to mesh with the other starters. The upside for this team has been significantly raised since last season.
The Liberty are three-point favorites on the road and are -148 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 170 points. Let’s look at the best bets and predictions for this contest.
Prediction for Liberty vs. Fever
Though this is a home contest for the Fever, I thought the Liberty line would be larger. The 2-1 record for Indiana may be fooling our oddsmakers. They beat a struggling Sky team, then split back-to-back tight contests with a strong, but not elite, Dream squad. Indiana does feel like a team capable of pulling any upset with the upside of their core trio, but projecting a one-bucket game feels generous.
Ultimately, the Liberty’s overwhelming defense and the star power of Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones will overtake this Indiana squad. There’s only so much you can do against a team this good.
Pick for Liberty vs. Fever
New York Liberty -3 (-112)
Might as well put my money where my mouth is. The Liberty have played two games and recorded two double-digit wins. They could easily make it three in a row on this Saturday matinee.
Perhaps Caitlin Clark goes wild and generates enough offense to swing this, or Kelsey Mitchell hits a boatload of threes. Or New York’s top scorers could have a tough time getting things going against Natasha Howard. Ultimately, my gut tells me that the Liberty have a lot of ways to win this one, and Indiana has just one. Unless they get a superb offensive showing from Clark and Company, this one is going in the win column for the Liberty.
