It is a quiet Saturday in the WNBA with just two games on the schedule. The Phoenix Mercury kicked off the day with a 107-86 victory over the Chicago Sky in an afternoon matchup. To conclude the night, the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks face off at 8:00 p.m. ET.
The Sparks are off to a 4-9 start to the season, while the Lynx lead the WNBA with an 11-1 record. They remained undefeated until last week when the Seattle Storm handed them their first loss. This will be the third matchup between these two teams already this season. Minnesota has come out on top in both matchups with a 89-75 victory early in the campaign and a 101-78 win last week.
Looking at tonight’s odds, the Lynx are favored by eight points and are -375 favorites on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. Los Angeles holds +295 odds of pulling off the upset with the game total set at 162.
It is worth noting that the current MVP-favorite Napheesa Collier has been downgraded to doubtful due to a back injury. Collier started the day as questionable, and this change dropped the spread from 10 to eight as a result. Cameron Brink remains out for Los Angeles as she recovers from her ACL tear.
As these teams face off for the third time this season, here are my favorite WNBA prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for the Lynx vs. Sparks matchup.
Kelsey Plum Over 18.5 Points (-110)
The Sparks took a huge swing in the offseason, trading for Kelsey Plum. There have been some growing pains as she settles in with her new teammates, but the three-time All-Star is still averaging 20.9 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game. Plum has tallied over 18.5 points in six of the 12 games thus far.
While the Minnesota Lynx have a really good defense, expect this to change without Collier on the floor. So far this season, Minnesota has held opponents to 74.8 points per game, the best mark in the league, and they rank second in defensive rating. Collier provides 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while anchoring a great deal of how Minnesota asserts itself on this side of the ball.
Plum’s scoring numbers still look solid, but there is more production to be had. She is shooting just 38.4% from the field this season and 37.4% on three-point attempts. For her career, Plum has shot 42.9% from the field and 38.9% on three-point attempts. Expect the Minnesota defense to look disjointed if Collier doesn’t play, and for Plum to lead the offensive charge for the Sparks. This team is designed for her to be the leading scorer as she has started to round into form. Count on her to tally over 18.5 points for the seventh time this season and don’t rule out tonight being one of her bigger scoring eruptions.
Dearica Hamby Over 7.5 Rebounds (-135)
Dearica Hamby took a huge step forward in her production last season and is attempting to build off this. So far this season, the 6-foot-3 forward is averaging 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. Hamby has improved her rebounding output of late, averaging 8.3 rebounds per game across the past seven games and recording over 7.5 rebounds in five of these games.
This is a great matchup for Hamby to build from. Minnesota ranks eighth in the WNBA in rebounding percentage and seventh in rebounds per game. These metrics are with Collier on the floor plenty as the MVP favorite is pulling in 8.5 rebounds per game herself. Jessica Sheppard is the only other member of the Lynx to average more than 5.1 rebounds per game.
Hamby pulled in 10 and 12 rebounds in the two matchups with the Lynx so far this season, with both of these games occurring with Collier on the floor. Expect her rebounding outlook to be even clearer without the Lynx star. Hamby has pulled in over 7.5 rebounds in three of her past four games, so look for her to continue this with eight or more rebounds again tonight.
Dearica Hamby to record a double-double (+245)
To take it a step further, I like taking the +245 swing for Dearica Hamby to record a double-double tonight. She has tallied 10+ rebounds in four games this season, with two of these coming against Minnesota. Hamby has scored 10+ points in all but one game this season, with her eight-point outing coming in the previous game. She had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the first matchup and 10 points with 12 rebounds in the second game against the Lynx.
Getting this payout for something she reached in both previous matchups is great value. Expect the shot opportunities and rebounding chances to be more evident if Collier is set to miss. Hamby has a nice nose for rebounding the basketball and there is a clear pathway to easy putback chances tonight.
Expect Hamby to be one of the notable performers in this game with her interior impact set to be a huge factor in the result. Count on her making a strong impact and making her way to the fifth double-double of the season in this favorable matchup.
