We’re in the WNBA stretch run, and everything counts extra towards the playoff race. The Washington Mystics sit just outside the playoff race and need to build momentum. But it’s all over for the Chicago Sky already.
Riding an eight-game losing streak, Chicago’s playoff chances are extinguished, barring a historic collapse by multiple teams. Angel Reese had an unreal month of July, but it didn’t translate to winning, despite her best efforts. Now, with Reese out of the lineup, it’s all collapsing.
Washington is on a slide of their own, albeit a smaller one. Losing two straight games has dropped them to the ninth seed, one game behind the Golden State Valkyries. With 16 games left in the season, there’s plenty of time to catch up, but there will be extra pressure on these games against tanking teams to pull out wins.
The Mystics are 7.5-point favorites on the road and hold -310 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 157.5 points. Let’s look at the best bets and predictions for this Mystics-Sky contest.
Mystics vs. Sky prediction, pick
A lot of this game comes down to the injury report. On top of Reese’s absence for the past two games, Ariel Atkins has been out for seven straight. Angel may be their most important player on both ends of the floor, but Atkins has an excellent case for second. Reese has already been ruled out for Tuesday’s game, but Atkins is listed as questionable. They’ll need her perimeter defense to have a chance in this contest.
Chasing around Brittney Sykes is a challenging task. She’s great on the drive and relentless when it comes to paint pressure, creating shots for herself and others. Sonia Citron is flying around at all times trying to get open threes, and is solid on the drive as well. Rebecca Allen is still a capable defender, but oscillating between guarding that pair is too much for her. They’ll need Atkins to alleviate some pressure.
In their last game without Atkins against Washington, Sykes put up 18 points and six assists while Citron went off for 28 points. And even if she does play, the absence of Reese destroys the fabric of Chicago’s offense. Everything is lined up for an important Mystics victory.
