The Lynx took down the Sky for the second time in three matchups and will now face the Mercury for the fourth time this season.
Phoenix is the second best team in the WNBA, with a 15-6 record, and is three games behind Minnesota. The Mercury have lost two of the three matchups with the Lynx, though they won the most recent game on their home floor.
This will be the final regular season game between these two, and it’ll take place in Minnesota.
The Lynx are 8.5-point favorites, and the game total is set at 161.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Here’s my prediction and pick for Wednesday’s Lynx vs. Mercury matchup.
Lynx vs. Mercury prediction
Although this is a more difficult matchup, the Lynx are probably happy for a change of pace. They’ve played the Sky three times in the past five games and will play them again after their matchup with the Mercury.
The Mercury and Lynx also matched up once in the past five games with Phoenix taking the 79-71 victory. That was without Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper, two of the Mercury’s best players.
Alyssa Thomas starred in the contest, scoring 29 points along with eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. The Mercury are 3-0 since Sabally and Copper went down with injuries, but that’s not a trend that will last forever.
Sabally and Copper could remain out for Wednesday’s contest vs. the Lynx, which makes it even more difficult for the team to win on the road. It’s already tough to beat a team twice in such a short span. Doing so without two stars is a whole new challenge.
Meanwhile, the Lynx have Napheesa Collier healthy and coming off a 29-point performance against the Sky. Collier is one of the top MVP candidates this season and continues to prove why she’s often the best player on the court.
Lynx vs. Mercury pick, best bet
The Lynx should win this game regardless if Sabally or Copper play, but I’m not overly confident in their ability to make this a blowout. The spread is set at 10.5 points, which is a bit too step considering the Lynx haven’t torched anyone in their past five games.
This same Mercury team without Sabally and Copper defeated the Lynx by eight points recently. That won’t happen again, but expecting Minnesota to cover -10.5 is asking too much.