With a 7-0 record, the New York Liberty have been unstoppable this season. The Washington Mystics will look to prove that the defending champions are mortal on Thursday.
After a 100-52 pummeling of the Connecticut Sun this past Sunday, New York now owns the top offensive AND defensive rating in the league. They’re crushing opponents to the tune of a +25.9 net rating. I’m running out of superlatives to describe how good the Liberty have been, so enjoy some Marine Johannes threes while I ponder how to be more creative in describing excellence.
The Mystics haven’t been close to the same level of superb, but have to be encouraged by their progress. The rookie duo of Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron have adapted well, while Brittney Sykes continues her late-career breakout campaign. This Washington squad has a good chance of making the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. That would be a promising development for a team that saw a lot of talent go out the door in the past few seasons.
The Liberty are 13.5-point favorites on the road and are -950 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 163.5 points. Let’s look at the best bets and predictions for this contest.
Prediction, Picks for Liberty vs. Mystics
It’s impossible to pick against the Liberty at the moment. Against any team not named the Minnesota Lynx, they’re huge favorites, and rightfully so.
With that in mind, the question isn’t who wins this game. It’s whether or not the Mystics can keep things within striking distance. Of that, I am skeptical.
New York Liberty -13.5
The last time these two faced off, New York managed a 22-point victory over Washington. Since then, the Liberty rattled off their aforementioned 48-point win while the Mystics lost to a Fever team sans Caitlin Clark. The way these teams are trending does not favor Washington at all.
The Sykes-Citron-Iriafen triumvirate has been great in the early going. Their mix of scoring and versatility on defense plays well against any team, but this New York squad is simply overwhelming. I don’t think the Mystics stand a chance.
