A pair of games in the WNBA playoffs today and we’ll look at the late game between the Phoenix Mercury and the Las Vegas Aces.
Betting Odds
The Aces are favored by 6.5 points and the total has moved down a half-point from 170.5 to 170.
Phoenix Mercury
Diana Turasi returned for the Mercury last game against the Seattle Storm and she showed some rust after missing time with an injury. Phoenix did manage to get the overtime win against against a Seattle team that was less than full strength. Phoenix did play its best basketball away from home this season, however, while they’re going up against a team that is always tough at home in Las Vegas.
Gambling Problem? Call or TEXT 1-800-Gambler 21+
The Mercury have their “Big 3” of Turasi, Brittany Griner and Skylar Diggins-Smith, who account for 53.4 of the team’s 79.8 points per game. Griner will be key in this series, as she tries to slow down the Aces’ Liz Cambage in the middle. The Mercury have to play their game and not get caught up in trying to run with the Aces or this one could get ugly.
Las Vegas Aces
The Aces are the deepest team in the league and most likely the best team in the league, even though they didn’t finish with the best record. Las Vegas has seven players who average more than 10 points per game.
A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 18.3 points per game and was also the team’s leading rebounder. The Aces have a number of players who can do damage offensively, but they’re a decent defensive team when they want to be. Las Vegas only allowed 41.5% shooting and were tough against the 3-pointer, allowing 30.6%.
Phoenix at Las Vegas Pick
This should be a decent series and these were my two choices to win the WNBA before the season began, with the Aces one of the favorites and the Mercury a bit of a longshot. I made this one 85-81 for the Aces and am going to take a stab on the under 170, which isn’t always easy to do against a Vegas team that can score in bunches. The Mercury should be a little deliberate and we might see a better defensive effort from the Aces than we saw during the regular season now that the stakes are higher. Vegas coach Bill Lambier knows a little about playoff basketball and the importance of playing defense during the playoffs.