Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WNBA match.
The teams head into this one in contrasting spirits: the hosts, the Minnesota Lynx, dispatched the Connecticut Sun convincingly away from home (94:70), whereas the visitors, the Dallas Wings, suffered a heavy defeat to the Atlanta Dream (78:100).
Minnesota Lynx
The Lynx are in excellent form, as evidenced by a convincing win over the Connecticut Sun, where the squad demonstrated balance in attack and defence. They have won seven of their last ten games. At home the Lynx look even stronger — high shooting efficiency and an aggressive tempo allow them to control contests. The consistency of the leaders stands out: the offence is anchored by assured perimeter play and control of the rebounds.
Dallas Wings
The Wings are enduring a rough patch. They have managed just one win in their last ten, and away from home they have been particularly poor — regular breakdowns on defence lead to a high number of points conceded. The last outing against the Atlanta Dream was telling: they conceded 100 points due to a lack of defensive discipline. Against teams of this calibre, the Wings often lose by double digits, and the last three head-to-head meetings with the Minnesota Lynx have not gone their way.
Minnesota Lynx vs Dallas Wings Prediction
Form and statistics favour the Minnesota Lynx. They have won seven of the last ten head-to-heads, including a convincing victory on the Dallas Wings’ court (81:65). Given the disparity between attack and defence, the Lynx should control the game. However, the pre-game handicap of -17.5 looks too large for a pre-match position, so the total points angle is preferable. Both teams play at a high tempo, and the Wings regularly falter away from home, which points to a high-scoring contest.
