The other half of the WNBA four first-round matchups will play their second game of the series on September 19. The top-seeded Las Vegas Aces closed their opening-round series against the eighth-seeded Chicago Sky on Sunday with a 90-72 victory. However, No. 6 seed Minnesota Lynx evened their series against the No. 3 Connecticut Sun with an 82-75 win. Can the No.7 Washington Mystics match Minnesota’s formula and force a Game 3, or will the No. 2 New York Liberty end the series at home?
WNBA Playoffs Game 2 Betting Preview: Mystics vs. Liberty
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Washington (0-1) and New York (1-0) are first up on Tuesday. The Liberty took Friday’s night game 90-75 as Sabrina Ionescu tossed in 29 points, including a franchise playoff record seven triples.
Leading 46-42 at halftime, New York pushed its lead to 12 by the end of the third as Ionescu scored the final five points of the frame. The Liberty extended their advantage to 14 before Washington scored the next eight points to get within 71-65. Ionescu had a response with back-to-back treys, and the Liberty never looked back.
New York outshot Washington 44%-to-41.3% from the field. The Liberty knocked down 12 threes and held the Mystics to just five. The Liberty also outrebounded the Mystics by six (43-37).
Jonquel Jones turned in a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Betnijah Laney added 19 points for New York. Meanwhile, Myisha Hines-Allen produced a playoff-high 21 points and eight rebounds for the Mystics. Britney Sykes had 16 points, Ariel Atkins (14), and Elena Della Donne (11).
With the victory, New York now leads the season series 3-2. The Liberty also has won two of the three games at MSG. The Liberty owns a 42-36 edge in the all-time series.
WNBA Betting and Game Info
Game Time: 7 p.m. ET on September 18, 2023
Place: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan (N.Y)
TV: ESPN
Spread: New York Liberty -10 (110)
Money Line: Washington Mystics (+430), New York Liberty (-600)
Over/Under: 163 (-110)
Prediction
The Mystics and Liberty are very similar and competitive when healthy. As evident by the teams’ four games during the regular season, three contests were decided by nine or fewer points. Plus, Game 1 was very competitive, with the big difference being the 3-point line. Overall, the difference in the five games thus far has been 3.6 points.
The Liberty will ultimately win as they have a considerable advantage on the boards, and Breanna Stewart won’t have a second consecutive subpar game. The Mystics also don’t have an answer for Ionescu.
I’m leaning towards the Mystics, even more so than Game 1, to cover. In the two games following three days of off, Washington averages 79 points with a .439/.289/.839 slash line while allowing 61.5 points. Meanwhile, New York averages 92 points with a shooting slash line of .478/.328/.810 following three days rest. The Liberty have permitted 72.5 points in these two games.
However, I will pass on a 10-point spread, given the Liberty’s ability to light up the scoreboard.
So, for my best bet, just like in Game 1, I like the total to go over (163). The Liberty loves to push the pace, and both teams are good 3-point shooting teams, with five players averaging double-figures. The total went over in the last four meetings, and the teams combined to produce 173.5 points per game. Furthermore, the average score of games at MSG this year has been 171.5, and the average score of the Mystics’ road games has been 163.1.
Best Bet Over 163 (-110)
Other Bets
Over 41.5 First Quarter Points (-110)
Washington Mystics +6.0 First Half (-110)
2- Legged Parlay (+264)
Player Props
Breanna Stewart Under 22.5 Points (-115)
Ariel Atkins Over 11.5 Points (-120)
Natasha Cloud Over 4.5 Rebounds (-130)
Sabrina Ionescu Over 17.5 Points (-115)
Same Game Parlay
Ariel Atkins 10 + Points (-210)
Betnijah Laney 12+ Points (-240)
Courtney Vandersloot 8+ Points (-225)
Sabrina Ionescu 15+ Points (-290)
Elena Delle Donne 5+Rebounds (-210)
Jonquel Jones 8+Rebounds (-260)
Natasha McCloud 5+ Rebounds (-115)
7-Legged Parlay: +1100
