WNBA Finals Game 1: Best Bets and Player Props for Lynx at Liberty
The WNBA Finals are here, and fans and bettors alike can get into the action on FanDuel Sportsbook.
The W's season offers a wide variety of betting options, including point spreads, moneylines, and totals. While there's a lot to sift through, advanced stats from the WNBA can help us find an edge in the betting market.
Let's dive into the WNBA odds on FanDuel Sportsbook and find today's best bets.
Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.
WNBA Best Bets
Minnesota Lynx at New York Liberty
Lynx +6 (-108)
It happened all season, and it’s happening again in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.
The Minnesota Lynx are undervalued.
According to numberFire’s database, the Lynx are a WNBA-best 29-16 against the spread this season. Despite the league’s top net rating (+7.9), Minnesota heads into Game 1 as a 6-point underdog to the New York Liberty, a team they beat twice during the regular season.
Based on our numbers, this should be closer to a pick ‘em.
Granted, the Liberty are no pushover. They were the W’s top regular season team for a reason, and they’ve done little to raise doubts about their status as the favorite this postseason. After sweeping the Atlanta Dream in the first round, New York exacted revenge on the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces in four games.
But the Lynx have been nearly as impressive. They dismantled the Phoenix Mercury in the first round before finishing off the Connecticut Sun in five games last round.
Their regular season track record against the Liberty instills confidence in their ability to cover the spread tonight, too. The Lynx outscored New York by 8 points per 100 possessions in those head-to-head matchups. They beat them 88-79 in their most recent matchup in New York on September 15th.
So while the Liberty are the rightful favorites given their gaudy season-long marks and ample star power, we still aren’t giving Minnesota enough credit. They’ve been one of the top defensive teams in the W all season and have proven capable of scoring in bunches against New York’s defense. They exceeded 80 points in two of three meetings with the Liberty.
That puts them in a nice spot to keep Game 1 close and cover as 6.0-point underdogs.
Napheesa Collier to Record 4+ Assists (+118)
Napheesa Collier has been the catalyst behind Minnesota’s run to the WNBA Finals. Across seven playoff games, Collier has averaged 27.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game.
She’s exceeded 25 points in three straight (and five of seven overall) and has a team-leading 25.8% usage rate. Now, Collier’s postseason scoring uptick does make 21.5-point prop worth looking at, but the Liberty aren’t an ideal matchup for her individually. Breanna Stewart led New York to the W’s third-best defensive rating in the regular season and helped contain Collier to just 16 points per game across three head-to-head meetings.
But just because Collier wasn’t scoring herself doesn’t mean she wasn’t a big part of the Lynx offense in those head-to-head matchups with the Liberty. She averaged 4.7 assists against New York during the regular season, dishing out at least 4 dimes in all three games.
That makes targeting her to record 4+ assists the way I want to play this game from a props perspective.
Collier has finished with at least four assists in five of seven playoff games after doing so in 14 of 30 regular season contests. But with the Liberty keyed on in her own scoring tonight, I’m expecting her to operate in a facilitator role, drawing action away from the defensive stalwart that is Breanna Stewart.
See Here to Download the Printable WNBA Playoff Bracket
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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.