We’re halfway through the Unrivaled season, and Monday’s slate brings us a battle between the two bottom feeders. Both the Lunar Owls and the Hive are 1-5 on the year, and their hopes of climbing into the playoffs are hanging by a thread. Which team is going to get its season back on track?
The Hive are 1.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Lunar Owls sit at -110 on the moneyline. The game total is set at 139.5 points. Let’s get into my prediction and pick for this Unrivaled matchup.
Lunar Owls vs. Hive Preview
Things are not clicking for the Lunar Owls this season. Napheesa Collier’s absence looms large, and the hope was that the team’s guard talent could carry the team. Unfortunately, that has not been the case; after losing the first four games of the season, the Owls are on life support.
Their solution has been for Marina Mabrey to shoulder a huge offensive load. Her counting stats look absurd: 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. But it’s coming at the cost of efficiency. Mabrey is shooting just 41.7% on 22 field-goal attempts per game, and only 32.4% on 11.3 attempted threes per game. She’s also coughing up 4.2 turnovers a night. Aaliyah Edwards continues to be the team’s most — and, at times, only — reliable option.
The Hive are going through the same troubles. Despite having Kelsey Mitchell, a WNBA MVP candidate last season, they cannot score to save their lives. They’ve scored 70 points just once this season, as the entire roster has seemingly forgotten how to shoot. There is talent here, but it has yet to come together — and it might be too late.
If they have a hope of turning things around, it has to start with Mitchell. She’s one of the best iso scorers in the world, but hasn’t made that kind of impact in a 3v3 format. If she can lock in, that creates some shots for Sonia Citron. If Citron finds her groove from deep, that opens up a lot of space for the rest of the roster. But it has to change now.
So, which of these teams can build some momentum tonight?
Lunar Owls vs. Hive Pick
The Lunar Owls may have never stood a chance with their injury woes. Relying on a volume chucker like Marina Mabrey to create all of their offense is not a winning formula. Theoretically, the Hive have a decent gameplan, and it’s bound to bring results sooner or later. All it takes is for their shooters to get into a rhythm. The Hive should find that rhythm tonight.
