It’s crunch time down the stretch of the WNBA season. Teams like the Indiana Fever are living and dying with each game as they look to secure their playoff standing. Unfortunately for the Dallas Wings, the season is already dead.
At 18-14, the Indiana Fever are right in the thick of the playoff race. They’re 2.5 games out of the second overall seed, and 2.5 games away from falling out of the race entirely. It’s an admirable effort considering Caitlin Clark’s injury-riddled season, but the work isn’t done yet.
Despite Paige Bueckers living up to the hype and more, it’s been a rough season for Dallas. Everything is crumbling around their new franchise star. Arike Ogunbowale is having the worst season of her decorated career, suffering under the scrutiny of playing alongside a better backcourt ballhandler and scorer. The DiJonai Carrington acquisition was a flop, and she didn’t last a full season before being dealt. Fans are clamoring for the coach to be fired. On the bright side, they’re well on their way to securing the best odds in the 2026 Draft Lottery.
The Fever are 6.5-point favorites at home and hold -278 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 170 points. Let’s look at the best bets and predictions for this Fever-Wings contest.
Wings vs. Fever prediction, pick
There are a lot of pleasant surprises with this Indiana squad. Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston have stepped up in a major way on offense to account for Caitlin Clark’s absence. But that’s not where the story ends.
Natasha Howard was a perfect role player to add next to Boston. A fierce rebounder and defender who is a valuable play finisher, she fits this team like a glove. Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham have been dynamic catch-and-shoot threats all year, in addition to taking on difficult perimeter assignments. And don’t forget Aari McDonald, who has filled some of the playmaking gaps as a starter without CC.
It’s more challenging to get excited about the Wings. Bueckers fits every superlative for a rookie, but the rest of the roster is rough. Ogunbowale looks less and less like a max player every day, and seemingly cannot fit next to Paige. Good thing she’s about to hit free agency, like most of the league. They have an intriguing collection of young players, including Haley Jones, Luisa Geiselsoder, Aziaha James, JJ Quinerly, Diamond Miller, and others. This stretch run gives the front office a chance to get a further look at the young players and pad their lottery odds.
You should expect the Fever to do them a favor here. The Wings losing streak may continue for a while as a failed season winds down. Indiana has a lot more on the line, and it’ll show in Tuesday’s game.
