If you looked at the WNBA standings and didn’t know who the expansion team was, you’d probably guess the Connecticut Sun before guessing the Golden State Valkyries. That’s just how bad the Sun has been this year. Golden State, on the other hand, is in the playoff mix in its inaugural season. Sunday’s game is another stepping stone on their way to the best expansion season in WNBA history.
The Valkyries are 6.5-point favorites on the road and -270 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at O/U 155.5 points. Let’s look at the best bets and predictions for this contest.
Valkyries vs. Sun prediction
The Valkyries made their presence known on defense this year. Head coach Natalie Nakase has the Valks humming on that end, and Golden State has the fourth-best defensive rating in the league. But they were dealt a major blow recently. All-Star Kayla Thornton injured her knee in practice and had to undergo season-ending surgery.
It leaves their season on a knife-edge. One of their top offensive creators is out, and the offense isn’t very effective to begin with. They’ll need to scrape by against a lot of teams, and did so in their last game against a Wings team well behind them in the standings.
The good news for them is that the Sun are bad at everything. The worst offense and defense in the WNBA, they struggle to stop anyone, and they also fail to create any good looks. Marina Mabrey’s return at least gives them a player with scoring punch on the perimeter, but it won’t be enough against this Valks defense.
Top pick: Golden State Valkyries -6.5 (-110)
It’s also worth taking a shot on the under at 155.5. Offensive regression will hit Golden State hard without Thornton, and the Sun can’t score anyway. A quick two-leg same game parlay at +254 sounds like a good bet to me.
