You don’t have to look hard to find a WNBA game with big playoff implications at this stage of the season. Wednesday’s game between the Indiana Fever and the Phoenix Mercury is one such game.
The Mercury sit in the third seed for the WNBA playoffs at 16-9. Behind their star trio and good role players, they have the makings of an outer-circle contender. The defense is rock-solid, and they can lean on their starters to provide enough offense. They’re not in the Lynx-Liberty tier, but they have a great case to win an upset championship.
The Fever looked like an outer-circle contender early in the year, and they’re still a near-lock to make the playoffs. But the injuries have taken a toll on Caitlin Clark this year, and it’s held them back in a major way. At 14-12, they’re currently the sixth seed. An uphill battle in the postseason would spell doom for the Commissioner’s Cup Champions.
The Mercury are four-point favorites on the road at -166 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 165.5 points. Let’s look at the best bets and predictions for this contest.
Fever vs. Mercury prediction, pick
The injury report is doing no favors for the Fever in this game. Not only will Caitlin Clark miss her 14th game of the season, but the Mercury come in fully healthy. It’s a rare occasion this year to see Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, and Kahleah Copper healthy at the same time. That spells trouble for Indiana.
They haven’t been dead in the water without Clark. Kelsey Mitchell is putting together an excellent all-around season. Aliyah Boston has taken a major leap offensively in addition to her strong defense. Natasha Howard was a great pickup, and they’re getting good role player contributions from Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham.
But that’s not enough to overcome this healthy Mercury team. They’re a tier ahead of Indiana even at full strength; the absence of Clark makes this a slam-dunk pick.
