We’re so close to the FIBA World Cup break, which means every WNBA team will be going hard to get out all of their energy before a nice week off. The Indiana Fever are determined to keep climbing the playoff standings, but the Chicago Sky have no intention of handing them a win. This one should be fun.
The Fever enter as 4.5-point road favorites with -166 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Sky are +140 underdogs, with the game total set at 187.5 points.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction, and pick for this Fever-Sky matchup.
Fever vs. Sky Preview
This will be the third and final regular-season meeting between these teams. So far, they’ve given us some exciting hoops, though the Fever have come out victorious on both occasions. The first was a 114-106 overtime win back in June during Commissioner’s Cup play, and the second was a 90-86 win only two weeks ago. Despite the big talent gap between the two teams, the Sky have hung tough against the Fever both times.
For the Fever, the key to a season sweep is to keep the good times rolling offensively. That has started with Caitlin Clark; in the first game, she racked up a whopping 32 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists. She followed that up with 26 points and 11 assists in the rematch. If she can play that kind of game, the Fever will have a field day in Chicago. But their defense does need to lock in against this Sky squad; they’re fresh off an upset over the Golden State Valkyries, and it was a familiar face who led the way.
Sydney Taylor continues to rack up big moments for this Sky team. The undrafted rookie cements herself as a franchise cornerstone with each passing game, and her closeout of the Valkyries was a moment to remember.
The Fever will certainly remember Taylor. In their first matchup of the season, the rookie guard poured in 30 points off the bench, nearly delivering the victory. She missed the second game with an injury, and though the Fever would never say it out loud, they breathed a sigh of relief to see her sidelined. Indiana’s suspect defense will have to keep a close eye on her, or else they’ll get burned.
The real X-factor here is Natasha Cloud. The veteran has been a steady presence through a trying season for the Sky and is playing her best basketball over their three-game winning streak. In that span, Cloud is averaging 24 points, eight rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, along with her usual brand of strong defense. If she can put some defensive pressure on Clark and Kelsey Mitchell while handling the ball and providing secondary scoring, that gives them a major advantage.
Now that we know these teams a bit better, who will pull out the win, and how should we bet on this game?
Fever vs. Sky Pick, Best Bet
One significant factor in this game is Indiana’s schedule. This will be their third game in four nights, all on the road. They faced the Wings in Dallas on Thursday, then the Liberty in New York on Saturday night, which was a fast-paced loss. This late in the season, I’d be surprised if this shallow Fever team has the legs for this one. The Sky are far from perfect, but they’re energetic and playing good basketball as of late. There’s enough here for me to pick the home underdogs.
