A lot is on the line in Thursday’s game between the Washington Mystics and the Golden State Valkyries. The winner leaves in position to take the eighth seed for the WNBA Playoffs if all else holds; the loser lands on the outside looking in and will have work to do over the regular season’s final month.
Both squads are in funky stages of building their teams. Golden State is establishing a culture in the franchise’s first season. They’ve put together a great defense and have seen breakout campaigns from their expansion players. Washington is also building up with two All-Star rookies and an incredible season from Brittney Sykes. Both teams have won with their defense.
The Mystics are 2.5-point favorites at home and hold -142 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 153.5 points. Let’s look at the best bets and predictions for this Valkyries-Mystics contest.
Mystics vs. Valkyries prediction, pick
This is going to be a serious defensive showdown. The Valkyries have been one of the better defenses in the league this season. Head coach Natalie Nakase has consistently brought the best out of this team as their versatile starting group and bench pieces have caused problems for opponents. Right now, they’re finding ways to win games they shouldn’t, including an electric last-minute victory over the Dream.
Washington has some great defensive pieces of their own. Brittney Sykes is a menace at the point of attack. Shakira Austin is an excellent event creator in the paint. Sug Sutton and Jade Melbourne can hold up well in their minutes. Plus, the rookie duo of Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen have adjusted quickly to the WNBA, showing off great two-way games.
The thing is, these offenses have not been great. Washington has struggled all year and Golden State is scrambling to make up for the loss of Kayla Thornton. This looks like a defensive struggle, so the under feels like the top pick in this one.
