WNBA Odds: Lynx vs. Liberty Predictions & Picks

The Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty square off in a rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals, which the Liberty won to secure their first league championship. The upcoming schedule will look like a playoff series with the teams playing each other in three consecutive games starting on Sunday, August 10. The game will tip at 12:30 p.m. ET from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY and be televised on ABC. Caitlin Clark is the biggest star in the league currently sidelined by injury and both teams will be without top performers on Sunday. MVP front runner Napheesa Collier was injured in a Lynx win over Las Vegas last week and New York’s Breanna Stewart is on the mend from a bone bruise, taking two of the game’s biggest stars off the floor.

Lynx vs. Liberty WNBA Game Preview

Minnesota has been the dominant team in the WNBA this year winning 25 of its first 30 games. The Lynx have built a comfortable lead in the standings allowing Collier to take her time rehabbing an ankle injury. In their first game without Collier the Lynx extended their winning streak to three games with a 91-87 road triumph over Seattle. A balanced attack, which is the game plan moving forward without the likely MVP, proved nearly unstoppable. Courtney Williams led five players in double figures with 20 points and Jessica Shepard picked up the slack defensively with a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double. The Lynx may not be as dominant as they were with Collier in the lineup, but they have a strong enough supporting cast to withstand the loss of their leading scorer and rebounder.

New York adjusted to life without Stewart winning a pair of games that ended a four-game losing streak. Losing to Minnesota during that slide wasn’t heartbreaking, but dropping games to sub-.500 teams Los Angeles, Dallas and Connecticut was alarming for the defending champs. Since winning their first nine games of the season the Liberty have been .500 going 10-10 over their last 20 contests. They bounced back from a humbling 78-62 loss to the league-worst Sun, getting 36 points from Sabrina Ionescu in an 87-78 victory. Ionescu went cold in the next outing but five of her teammates scored in double figures to avenge an earlier loss to the Wings. With Stewart, Kennedy Burke and Nyara Sabally all on the shelf the Liberty will have to cover for nearly 33 points per game.

Lynx vs. Liberty WNBA Predictions

This is a chance for the Lynx to prove they are more than Collier. And they can also get revenge from a disappointing loss in the WNBA Finals a season ago. In an effort to bolster an already strong supporting cast, the Lynx swung a deal for DiJonai Carrington last week. The move paid off with Carrington scoring 13 points in her team debut against Seattle. Carrington, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams all average more than 10 points making the Lynx a threat even without overwhelming MVP favorite Collier in the lineup. Sporting a stronger lineup in the absence of star players Minnesota can continue its roll with a cover victory over the inconsistent Liberty.

Lynx vs. Liberty WNBA Betting Tips

Not only are the Lynx the best team on the court they’re also the most profitable at the betting window. Without Collier they were a 2-point dog in the matchup with Seattle winning the game outright. In the game Collier was injured, the Lynx posted the biggest road win in WNBA history crushing Las Vegas 111-58 for an easy cover. They are 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight games and 18-11-1 against the WNBA betting line overall. Stewart was injured after playing less than four minutes against LA on July 26. The Liberty lost that game starting a run of four straight setbacks and New York has failed to get the cash in any of their six games including the LA contest. New York boasts the second best record in the WNBA at 19-11.

Lynx vs. Liberty Head-to-Head and Key Stats

The teams played an epic WNBA Finals last year with New York emerging as champions in five games. That series was partly responsible for the league extending the Finals to a best-of-seven. Two of the five games went to overtime, including the deciding Game 5 and two others were decided by three points or less. They met for the first time this season over a week ago with Minnesota winning 100-93, but the game wasn’t that close. New York scored the last 11 points to push the line of 7-points. The Lynx are No. 1 in the league in scoring and in fewest points allowed, and though they might slip a bit without Collier they still have a strong roster.