Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WNBA match.
The Atlanta Dream, who are fighting for a playoff spot, start the new week with a game against the Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx are second in the standings and are playing for a high seed. After the Olympic break, they boast the best record in the league (9 wins in 10 games).
Atlanta Dream
Several factors favour the Dream. Firstly, the team is extremely resilient. They have lost an unfortunate number of crucial games this season, but they are consistently close in the final score. In their last 10 games, the hosts have a 6-3 record against the spread, with one void. Secondly, the Dream's leaders are stepping up significantly. Last week, Rhyne Howard scored over 100 points, while centre Tina Charles contributed an average of 16 points +12 rebounds per game.
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx , on the other hand, has a different story. The team keeps racking up victories, raising their stock among bookmakers. Consequently, the Lynx have struggled to cover large spreads, especially against mid-tier opponents. Over the past two weeks, the visitors have underperformed against the spread against the Dallas Wings, the Chicago Sky, and the Washington Mystics. One might ask, what makes the highly motivated Atlanta Dream any worse than these three?
Atlanta Dream - Minnesota Lynx Prediction
In our view, this will be a close match, decided by one or two possessions in the final minutes. This is supported by the Dream's record this season against strong teams. In games against opponents with over 50% wins, they have covered the spread in 10 out of 13 games, with one void. Our pick is for the underdogs.
