As we approach the end of this WNBA season, each game counts extra in the playoff race. Few could be more meaningful than this Aces-Valkyries matchup on Tuesday.
Only half a game separates these two teams. Las Vegas is half a game ahead of Golden State in the win column with these squads sitting in the seventh and eighth seeds, respectively. The Mystics are close behind though and sit a game back of the Valks. The loser of this contest could have another team breathing down their neck for their playoff spot. It’s not a fun position to be in.
The Aces are 6.5-point favorites on the road and hold -278 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 159.5 points. Let’s look at the best bets and predictions for this Valkyries-Aces contest.
Valkyries vs. Aces prediction, pick
These two squads faced off on Sunday with similar stakes on the line. The Aces shook off their blowout loss from the previous day to defeat the Valkyries 101-77 behind a massive game from Jewell Loyd. Moving Loyd to the bench has been a stroke of genius for head coach Becky Hammon.
Las Vegas is 3-1 in games in which Loyd comes off the bench. The former scoring champ posted 16.8 PPG in those four games on 51%/44%/90% shooting splits. It’s a far cry from her starting numbers, in which Loyd was scoring 10.4 PPG on 36%/35%/84% splits. With the extra production off the bench, this team has a different feeling to it.
The Valkyries like to slow things down and let the defense go to work while relying on a balanced offensive attack. Players like Carla Leite and Iliana Rupert have stepped up to fill the void left by Kayla Thornton in organizing the offense, but they still lack the scoring punch. Now, with Vegas’ offensive attack looking balanced and dangerous, the equation seems unfavorable for Golden State
