It’s been an extremely eventful week for both the Indiana Fever and the Golden State Valkyries for myriad reasons.
The Fever clinched the first Commissioner’s Cup Championship spot in franchise history by beating the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday, but that wasn’t the story of the game. Multiple fights broke out ruing the contest with Caitlin Clark at the center of the first one.
Then, a second scrap broke out in the last minute of the game. There is no love lost between the Fever and the Sun. Clark’s braggadocios nature and playstyle seem to incite all kinds of physicality across the league, and it won’t be the last tussle she finds herself in.
The Valkyries have watched their roster erode due to Eurobasket. Four players on the active roster have left to participate: Temi Fágbenlé, Julie Vanloo, Janelle Salaün, and Cecilia Zandalasini. Their first-round pick, Justé Jocyté, and Iliana Rupert will also represent the Valkyries in the tournament with both already playing in Europe. While Golden State will be proud to have such heavy Eurobasket representation, it leaves their current roster a bit short.
As a fun aside, they signed Bree Hall, a rookie drafted by the Fever and waived in preseason. Hall has plenty of experience and should get rotation minutes from the get-go. This matchup provides a fun chance for her to get some revenge.
The Fever are 11-point favorites on the road and are -675 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 164 points. Let’s look at the best bets and predictions for this contest.
Valkyries vs. Fever Prediction
Understandably, the Fever are heavy road favorites. With Caitlin Clark back in the fold, Indiana has secured two huge victories in a row. Meanwhile, the Valkyries dropped one to the lowly Wings in the midst of heavy roster turnover. It makes sense that the team with structure is favored over the team rapidly losing structure.
But the plucky nature of these Valkyries cannot be underestimated. Before their loss to Dallas, Golden State had a three-game winning streak against the Aces, Sparks, and Storm. Two of those teams are expected to be heavy playoff contenders in the West. I have yet to see a game in which Golden State stands no chance, and I won’t count them out of this one.
Valkyries vs. Fever Pick
GS Valkyries +11 (-110)
At home in Ballhalla with plenty of motivation on their side, the Valkyries keeping this one close wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Their zone-heavy defense has thrown many teams off and is designed to keep players like Caitlin Clark in check.
I’m not confident that Golden State will pull off the upset here, but they have enough in the chamber to take a shot at Indiana. That’s enough for me to pick them to cover.
