Imagn Images
The top-seeded Minnesota Lynx showed why they were the WNBA’s best team in the regular season with a convincing 101-72 Game 1 victory over the Golden State Valkyries. With Game 2 tipping off on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN, will Minnesota secure the sweep and move onto the next round?
If you’re interested in WNBA betting and WNBA player props at the best betting sites for Wednesday, Sept. 17, then make sure to see today’s WNBA best bets at FanDuel Sportsbook. If you’re new to betting on the WNBA, we’d recommend reading this WNBA betting guide.
Today’s WNBA picks:Valkyries +10.5 (-110, FanDuel)Janelle Salaun Over 1.5 made 3-pointers (-114, FanDuel)Valkyries +10.5
The Valkyries at home have been spread darlings all season long, and I think the line is too high here. Golden State’s home crowd has brought impressive energy in the team’s first WNBA season and the team seems to feed off of it. The Valkyries are 15-6-1 against the spread at home this season, compared to 12-11 on the road. The Valkyries covered their two home games against the Lynx in the regular season (with a healthy Napheesa Collier in both) and have failed to cover in their three games in Minnesota that they’ve lost by a combined 59 points.Â
Natalie Nakase has been exceptional in her first season as Golden State’s head coach, and she’s been able to keep the Valkyries afloat despite often having a talent disadvantage in games and dealing with major injuries throughout the season. The Valkyries seem to be at their best when the market doubts them and I think getting double digits at home is a bit too much.Â
Janelle Salaun Over 1.5 made 3-pointers
When backing Overs on 3-point props, you obviously want to back players who are going to be shooting the ball a good amount from the outside. Salaun has five matchups this season against the Lynx, but we’re going to throw out one from July 5 when she returned from EuroBasket and only played nine minutes. In the other four matchups, she’s taken seven, eight, six and seven 3-pointers. The last three matchups (with 8, 7 and 6 attempts) have all come in September, so we get a decent idea of what to expect given the recent history.
In those four Lynx games that we highlighted above, she’s made just seven of those 28 3-point attempts for a ghastly 25%, highlighted by an 0-for-6 performance on Sept. 11. But she did make three 3-pointers in Game 1 and has hit multiple 3-pointers in seven of her past eight games. She has also been better at shooting from outside at home (38.8%) than on the road (34.8%) this season. Based on expected volume alone, I think this Over has value but I like Salaun to have a nice performance in Game 2 to try and keep Golden State’s season alive.Â