The first “winner-take-all” game of the WNBA playoffs will take place on Wednesday when the Connecticut Sun faces the Minnesota Lynx at the Target Center. Game time is slated for 9 p.m. (ET), with ESPN televising the game.
WNBA Playoffs Game 3 Lynx vs. Sun: Best Bets, Parlays and Player Props
[cta id=4013 type=cta]
Connecticut is a -5.0 point favorite for Game 3, with the Over/Under set at 157. On the money line, the Sun is listed at -235 while the Lynx are at +197
How the Sun and Lynx Got To Game 3
Connecticut entered the playoffs as the third seed and homecourt advantage. Meanwhile, Minnesota is the sixth seed as they finished the year two games below .500.
Connecticut dominated Game 1 with a 90-60 victory, as the Sun couldn’t do no wrong. The Sun shot 47.1% from the field and drained 16 threes at a 53.3% clip while holding the Lynx to 35% from the floor. The Sun edged the Lynx on the board (38-36) while winning the turnover battle 19-11, converting the Lynx mistakes in 30 points.
DeWanna Bonner (17 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists) and Alyssa Thomas (15 points, 10 assists, 5 steals) posted double-doubles to lead Connecticut. Rebecca Allen added 15 points, and Tyasha Harris contributed 12.
Kayla McBride led Minnesota with 16 points. Meanwhile, Napheesa Collier had 14 points and six caroms.
Game two was different, as Minnesota won nearly every statistical category. The Lynx outshot the Sun 47.8%-to 43.8% from the field. The Lynx made two more treys than the Sun (9-7). They also won the turnover (10-7) and rebound (35-30) battle.
McBride (28 points, 8 rebounds) and Collier (26 points, 13 boards) once again led the way for Lynx, combining for 56 points and 21 rebounds. Thomas, Bonner, and Allen all had big games for the Sun.
Connecticut leads the season series 4-2. The Sun have won both of their previous games in Minnesota. Three of the six games have been decided by double-figures, while the difference in the other three games has been seven or fewer.
Prediction
Connecticut is definitely the better team here. But both team star players are killing it, so this game has the potential to be a lot of fun.
Although Minnesota matches up well with Connecticut, I am going with the Sun to win here and leaning toward taking the over.
Connecticut is 12-8 on the road this season, which includes two wins at Minnesota. However, the Sun are just 4-3 in their last seven away contests, though they still have a +1.3 scoring margin in those games.
Conversely, Minnesota is not very good at home. The Lynx are 10-10 at the Target Center this year, including 3-3 over their last six with nearly a six-point scoring differential.
The numbers are even worse for the Lynx following two days off. Connecticut has not lost in 11 games in this situation and is outscoring their opponents by an average of 11 points in each outing. Meanwhile, Minnesota is just 1-4 with a minus -15.2 scoring differential.
Jessica Shephard and Lindsay Allen remain out due to their respective injuries.
Best Bet: Connecticut -5.0 (-110)
Over/Under: Pass
Player Props
Kayla McBride Over 15.5 Points (-105)
Diamond Miller Under 8.5 Points (-120)
Alyssa Thomas Under 10.5 Rebounds (-140)
