Three games of WNBA action are taking place across the Sunday, July 6th slate.
The New York Liberty and Seattle Storm got the day started with a matchup tipping off at 1:00 p.m. ET. Then, at 4:00 p.m. ET, the Connecticut Sun will host the Las Vegas Aces, building out to the prime time matchup at 7:00 p..m. ET between the Minnesota Lynx and the Chicago Sky.
Ahead of the three matchups, here are my favorite WNBA bets on DraftKings Sportsbook.
A’ja Wilson to Record 25+ Points (+110)
The Las Vegas Aces enter this matchup with the Connecticut Sun coming off an 81-54 loss to the Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever on Thursday. This is a perfect chance to erase this concerning result as they enter as 17.5-point favorites over the Sun, who are bringing up the rear of the WNBA with a 2-15 overall record. Connecticut enters on a nine-game losing streak, ranks last in scoring, is producing the worst field-goal percentage and is dead last in opponent points allowed. To make matters worse, the team’s leading scorer at 15.2 points per game, Marina Mabrey, is expected to miss 2-4 weeks due to a knee injury. The second-leading scorer, Tina Charles, is also questionable with a shoulder injury.
Three-time MVP A’ja Wilson enters with a chance to put forth some video game-like statistics in this matchup. The biggest threat to her production would be getting pulled from the game early due to it being a blowout. But with the previous blowout loss in mind, this feels like an opportunity that the Aces star will be ready to keep her foot on the gas.
Wilson is averaging 22.1 points per game this season, a dip from the 26.9 points she averaged last year. Even still, she has tallied 25+ points in four games this year with as many as 31 in a matchup. The Aces have faced the Sun twice this season and won by a combined 51 points. Wilson has dropped 22 points in both matchups while being limited to below 30 minutes on the floor in each. Wilson was the lone member of the Aces to score more than six points in the blowout loss to the Fever, where she dropped 29 points of her own. Wilson and the Aces have every matchup advantage in this game, so count on the reigning scoring champ to be ready to pour it on heavy and wipe away the frustrating past result.
Napheesa Collier Over 8.5 Rebounds (+120)
In the final game of today’s WNBA slate, the Minnesota Lynx will host the Chicago Sky. The Lynx are playing on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Golden State Valkyries last night 82-71. Alanna Smith took a beating in the matchup and ended up leaving and not returning due to a knee issue. Her status has not officially been announced at the point of writing, but based on how she was moving, it would be a surprise if she suited up tonight. This would leave a void in production, with Smith averaging 10.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while being a crucial part of the Lynx defense.
When discussing Minnesota’s production, you cannot get far without bringing up Napheesa Collier. The WNBA MVP favorite is averaging 24.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 38.9% on three-point attempts. Collier has tallied over 8.5 rebounds in seven of the 15 games this season.
While the Sky has plenty of flaws to discuss, they rebound the ball at a high level. Chicago ranks fourth in rebounds per game, sixth in opponent rebounds allowed and third in rebounding percentage. Collier is the leading rebounder on the Lynx already, and her responsibilities will grow if Smith is to miss. This will be her first matchup against Chicago this season, but count on the four-time All-Star to make use of her 6-foot-1 frame and activity around the rim. Getting +120 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook is really appealing value and worth backing with the matchup and injury status in mind. Count on the expected league MVP to deliver again tonight.
Minnesota Lynx vs. Chicago Sky Over 160.5 Points (-112)
While my lean is for Chicago to cover the significant +14.5 spread with the Lynx on a back-to-back, my favorite bet in this matchup is the over of 160.5. The Lynx have a case for the best offense in the league, ranking second in points scored at 85.5 points per game, first in offensive rating and leading the league in field-goal and three-point efficiency.
This should be a significant point of concern for the Sky defense. Chicago is allowing 87.7 points per game, the second-worst rate in the league, and is posting the second-worst defensive rating. The over has cashed in 10 of the 16 games the Sky have played this season. Offensively, they rank 12th in the league in scoring at 78.8 points per game but rank fourth in pace and aren’t afraid to push the tempo. Minnesota is coming off a game last night and has played three games in July already. Expect some tired legs and for the Sky to have some success scoring in transition.
With Chicago’s defense being so porous and Minnesota’s so effective, there is a path to the Lynx reaching triple digits, which they have done twice already this season. Expect Chicago to hold up its end of the bargain with a focus on pushing the tempo. The 160.5 game total feels low based on the gap in quality between the Lynx offense and Sky defense and the tired legs Minnesota will show. Expect this to be a bit of a shootout and for the total to cruise past 160.5 in the final matchup of the night.
