Commissioner’s Cup play rolls on this Saturday. Our third matchup is between the Mystics and the Dream. Washington looks awfully scrappy and is looking to shed the rebuilding tag, while Atlanta looks like a legitimate contender. This should be a fun test of mettle.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET. The Dream are 9.5-point home favorites with -440 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. A Mystics upset is priced at +340, with the game total set at O/U 160.5 points.
Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Mystics-Lynx game.
Mystics vs. Dream Preview
Washington nearly made a run last season, showing they weren’t going to go quietly into the night. After adding a whopping eight rookies to their roster this season, they’ve only improved. Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen continue to be the anchors of this team, and Shakira Austin gives them a true paint monster. They’re getting some good flashes from Georgia Amoore, and Michaela Onyenwere has fit quite well. They’re awfully deep, and ready to compete.
For Washington, the key is the role players. Citron will shoot the lights out and play great defense. Iriafen and Austin will dominate the glass and finish in the paint. Can they get consistent defense and shot-making from wings like Cotie McMahon and Cassandre Prosper? What will Amoore bring offensively? They certainly have options, and head coach Sydney Johnson will have to press the right buttons.
Atlanta continues to roll on defense, but the offense is a serious question mark. They stumbled their way to only 71 points against the Fever, losing by double digits to a struggling team. The lows are awfully low for this team when Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese aren’t hitting shots.
But they always give themselves a chance with the defense. They can buckle down with the best of them, and will make life awfully hard on this young and inexperienced Mystics offense. But will that be enough for a win?
So much comes down to the frontcourts here. Reese will have her hands full trying to keep Iriafen and Austin out of the paint and off the glass. Those two will also have to stay active to stop Howard from breaking the paint with her drives. Lauren Betts could be a real X-factor here for Washington to take advantage of Atlanta’s smaller bench players.
Now we have a good idea what to expect from these teams. Who is going to come out the winner?
Mystics vs. Dream Pick, Best Bet
One thing I trust: the Atlanta Dream will keep the score down. Through defensive excellence and offensive rough patches, Atlanta finds a way to produce unders. I expect the Mystics to do just enough defensively to keep them down while finding things awfully difficult against this Dream defense. This should be a slug fest.
