We’ve got a real battle on our hands to close out Tuesday’s WNBA slate. Two of the top five teams in the league, the Atlanta Dream and the Las Vegas Aces, will go head-to-head in the desert for a crucial playoff seeding matchup. Both teams are desperate to land in the top half of the postseason bracket and will bring their A-game to Tuesday’s matchup.
The Aces enter as 3.5-point home favorites with -155 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Dream are +130 underdogs, with the game total set at 178.5 points.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction, and pick for this Dream-Aces matchup.
Dream vs. Aces Prediction, Preview
This will be the third and final regular-season matchup between these two contenders. So far, it’s a matchup that the Las Vegas Aces have enjoyed.
The first matchup was an early-season showdown in Atlanta. Las Vegas survived a significant surge from the Dream, courtesy of a game-winning jumper by Chelsea Gray with three seconds on the clock. The second time around, Las Vegas left no room for a comeback, storming to a 109-87 win in Atlanta. Their stars went off; Jackie Young had a triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while A’ja Wilson had 23 points and Gray had 17 of her own. It was too much for Atlanta’s typically stout defense to handle.
Atlanta’s defense needs to lock in this time around, and that starts with Angel Reese. The best rebounder in the league and one of the best paint protectors, Atlanta will be relying heavily on Reese to bother A’ja Wilson as much as she can. Rhyne Howard can certainly help out in rotation, but it’s Angel’s matchup to handle first and foremost. They’re also going to need better backcourt defense, as they can’t afford to let Jackie Young run wild the way she did in the last matchup.
Las Vegas’ key is Chelsea Gray. A’ja has dealt with Reese before, and Jackie Young is hard to stop when she’s cooking. The playmaking floor is extremely high for Gray, but the scoring hasn’t always popped as much as it could. If she can knock down her threes and pick some opportunities to drive, the Aces have to feel good about their offense. Of course, their elite defense has to step up; Howard, Reese, and Allisha Gray are a tough trio to contain, and they need to stay solid in their rotations all night long.
Now that we know these teams a bit better, who will pull out the win, and how should we bet on this game?
Dream vs. Aces Pick, Best Bet
It’s hard to ignore the value of the Dream here. They have shown they can play the Aces tough and match them up and down the lineup. Jordin Canada will presumably return from her one-game illness absence, giving them a crucial dash of playmaking and rim pressure. That high offensive floor and ceiling combo makes them a strong underdog bet.
