The WNBA playoffs have arrived at long last. After a grueling regular season and heated playoff chase, the field has been settled. The Minnesota Lynx can put their No. 1 seed to use after running ahead of the field all year long. On the opposite side, the Golden State Valkyries are looking to make noise in their debut season. If you’re playing with house money, you might as well face the best team in the league.
The Lynx are 12.5-point favorites at home and hold -950 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Valkyries, as road underdogs, are +625 on the moneyline. The total is set at 148 points. Let’s take a look at the best bets and predictions for this Lynx–Valkyries matchup.
Lynx vs. Valkyries prediction, pick
In the last game of the regular season, the Valkyries faced the Lynx, needing a win to secure the sixth seed. With their fourth loss in four tries against Minnesota, Golden State sealed its fate as the last seed in the playoff bracket. Now it faces the Sisyphean task of containing Napheesa Collier, scoring on Alanna Smith, and solving an equation that no other team in the WNBA has been able to solve. No pressure. Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase knows what they’re up against.
Golden State had one of the best defenses in the regular season, but containing Collier and this Lynx offense is a different kind of challenge. The Valkyries are going to be up a creek trying to score consistently on DPOY hopeful Smith, Collier, and a rock-solid Minnesota defense.
This has been, without a doubt, the most excellent inaugural season for an expansion team in WNBA history. But its reward is playing the best team in the league. This is going to be a rough wake-up call for the Valkyries.
