There will be a heated race for WNBA playoff spots this season. The Washington Mystics at 8-8 are right in the thick of it. The Dallas Wings are not.
On the second night of a back-to-back, the Wings are slogging through a difficult season. They got blitzed by the Indiana Fever out of the gate on Friday and never got back into it. Now at 4-13, they continue to hunt for answers not named Paige Bueckers.
The Mystics continue to find answers on this roster. Washington managed a convincing win against the Aces despite Brittney Sykes’ absence. Sug Sutton and Shakira Austin continue to step up alongside stud rookie duo Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron. Every game counts as Washington hunts a playoff appearance, and they’ll relish the opportunity to get above .500 again.
The Mystics are 2.5-point favorites on the road and are -142 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 164.5 points. Let’s look at the best bets and predictions for this contest.
Wings vs. Mystics Prediction
Though the Wings have had a rough year, things have picked up recently. Despite their Friday night loss to the Fever, Dallas has won three of its last five contests including a massive victory over the Atlanta Dream, one of the best teams in the WNBA this season.
With the Mystics favored by 2.5 points, the implication is that the two teams are relatively equal. That does include a hedge against Brittney Sykes’ and Jade Melbourne’s injury statuses with both day-to-day, but they don’t have the energy problems of coming off a back-to-back like the Wings. I favor Washington in this one and feel this line is being too generous to Dallas.
Wings vs. Mystics Pick
Washington Mystics -2.5 (-110)
Right now, the Wings’ game plan is to hope that Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale can save them by racking up the points. This strategy works against some teams but the Mystics have a good formula for containing them.
Even if Brittney Sykes doesn’t play, Sutton is a good perimeter defender, Citron has shown a lot out there and Melbourne has her moments. They have a deep rotation of guards to throw at the Ogunbowale-Bueckers backcourt. Washington also has Kiki working down low on Li Yueru, who has been solid since joining Dallas. The matchup plays well for the Mystics to get a road win and advance further in the playoff race.
