There are five games of fantastic WNBA action across tonight’s Friday night slate.
Starting at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream will play while the Indiana Fever face the Dallas Wings. It should be noted that Caitlin Clark is considered day-to-day with a groin injury and has been ruled out for tonight’s matchup. In the later slate, three games will be tipping off at 10:00 p.m. ET. The Valyries will host the Sky, the Liberty will travel to face the Mercury, and the Storm and Sun will be facing off.
With some high-profile matchups on the table, here are my favorite WNBA prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Arike Ogunbowale to Record Over 17.5 Points (+100)
Caitlin Clark’s unavailability takes some shine off the potential matchup between the past two WNBA number-one-overall picks. But, in either case, Arike Ogunbowale’s point prop is my favorite in this matchup. It has been an uneasy start to the season for Ogunbowale as she adjusted to playing alongside Paige Bueckers. The four-time All-Star has settled in of late and increased her averages to 17.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds on the year.
This is a matchup that Ogunbowale has had success with in the past, scoring 22+ points in six straight matchups and eight of her last nine meetings with Indiana. She has tallied 17+ points in eight straight games against the Fever when playing 27+ minutes and averaging 25.8 points per game in these matchups. Indiana plays a fast-paced offensive style but can be vulnerable on the defensive end, especially to guards. Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu, Allisha Gray, and Brittney Sykes have each poured in 21+ points against them this season.
Ogunbowale is averaging 34.2 minutes per game this season and has tallied over 17.5 points in four of her last five games. She can explode for 30+ points on any given night and is coming off a season last year in which she averaged 22.8 points per game. There has been some growth in her willingness and ability to play alongside Buckers, and Dallas is getting closer to seeing the star backcourt they envision. This matchup has the highest game total on the board at 168.5, so expect plenty of points and for Ogunbowale to be a key part of this. Count on her eclipsing over 17.5 points for the ninth time this season and be ready to match the Fever’s pace.
Alyssa Thomas to Record 21+ Points & Rebounds (-120)
After spending the first 11 seasons of her career with the Connecticut Sun, Alyssa Thomas has begun to settle in with the Phoenix Mercury. Through the first 10 games she has played, Thomas is averaging 14.4 points, 8.9 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game. The five-time All-Star is a Swiss Army Knife in her impact and will be needed in the matchup with title-favorite New York Liberty tonight.
So far this season, Thomas has tallied 21+ combined points and rebounds in six of the 10 games. This includes last week’s matchup with the Liberty, in which she finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds while adding seven assists. New York ranks fifth in the league in rebounds per game but 12th in opponents’ rebounds allowed. In addition, Jonquel Jones will miss tonight’s matchup with an ankle sprain, which was sustained during the Jun 19th matchup against the Mercury. This is a huge hit to New York’s rebounding effort, with Jones pulling in a team-high 9.6 rebounds per game on the season.
Expect Thomas to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Jones’ absence and attack on the interior tonight. While I like the over of 6.5 rebounds at -145 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook as well, Thomas has scored double-figures in every game this season and will continue to be a key part of the Mercury attack. Expect a clear path to Thomas tallying 21+ combined points and rebounds for the second straight time against the Liberty and seventh time this season.
Angel Reese to Record 4+ Assists (-125)
Primarily known for her impact in rebounding the basketball, Angel Reese has shown some intriguing playmaking flashes in recent games, and there is value to be capitalized on. On the season overall, the LSU product is averaging 11.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. She has tallied 4+ assists in four of her past five games, including an 11-assist triple-double against the Connecticut Sun. Reese is averaging 5.6 assists per game across her past five matchups played. She is just 11 assists shy of last year’s total, which she logged in 34 games as a rookie.
This has been a result of both Reese growing as a playmaker and the Sky playing through her more frequently. Since Courtney Vandersloot suffered a torn ACL, Resse is logging a team-high 8.2 assists per 100 possessions. Before Vandersloot’s injury, Resses was averaging just 4.4 assists per 100 possessions.
The Sky will face the Golden State Valkyries tonight. This is a friendly matchup for playmaking from Resse’s perspective. While Golden State ranks sixth in opponents’ assists allowed, they have given up the fourth-most to opposing forwards. Look for Reese to continue relying on her growing playmaking chops and for Chicago to continue making it a focus to have cutters around her for the 6-foot-3 forward to capitalize on. Count on Reese recording 4+ assists for the fifth time in the past six games, and this also could be a spot worth laddering with +185 odds of tallying 5+ assists and +390 odds of 6+ assists on DraftKings Sportsbook.
