Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WNBA match.
With four games left in the regular season, the Washington Mystics are essentially playing in playoff mode. The Mystics cannot afford any mistakes as they face direct competitors for a spot in the top eight in three consecutive games. After defeating the Chicago Sky (89:58), the team from the capital now heads to an away match against the Atlanta Dream.
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream are disappointing their fans at the most critical moment of the season. They have lost three of their last four games, failing to score even 70 points in two of those matches. Their leaders have been particularly disappointing. In the previous game against the Minnesota Lynx (64:76), Rhyne Howard scored 14 points in 35 minutes, while Tina Charles made only 4 of 16 field goals.
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics, on the other hand, have excelled at switching to a defensive style and achieving results. During the week, the Mystics beat the Chicago Sky away, allowing their opponents to make just 35.7% of their field goal attempts. In general, the team has significantly improved in defence after the Olympics. Over the last 10 games, they rank among the top three in the WNBA in defensive rating (98.6).
Atlanta Dream vs Washington Mystics Prediction
The Washington Mystica defend even more efficiently than the Minnesota Lynx. Given the Dream's issues with organising their offence, why should they perform better than they did against the Lynx? In our opinion, the odds are overly skewed in favour of the home team. The Mystics have outperformed bookmaker expectations in 8 of their last 10 games and thrive in a defensive style of play.
