Eric Moody, ESPNAug 26, 2023, 11:00 AM ET
CloseFormer manager at a Fortune 100 financial services company, now living my dream creating fantasy and sports betting content about the NFL, NBA, and WNBA for ESPN.
Each day of the WNBA season, our team of fantasy and betting experts breaks down every game on the slate, making note of everything from injuries and lineup changes to recent trends and more.
All odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook. Times are ET.
Here’s what to look for during today’s slate:
Las Vegas Aces at Washington Mystics
7 p.m. ET, Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Line: Aces -10
Money line: Aces (-600), Mystics (+430)
Total: 168 points
BPI prediction:
Aces: 73.8% chance to win.
Projected margin of victory: 7.1 points
Injury report
Aces: No injuries reported
Mystics: Natasha Cloud (day-to-day), Elena Delle Donne (day-to-day), Kristi Toliver (out)
Fantasy streamer: Tianna Hawkins (rostered in 39.6% of ESPN leagues) remains a viable option for streaming with Natasha Cloud out and Elena Delle Donne questionable. Even if Delle Donne is active, her minutes will likely be restricted. Hawkins has averaged 21.9 fantasy points per game over the past 14 games.
Best bet: Aces -10.0. Las Vegas is 1-4 against the spread in their past five games, but I can’t fade them here. The Aces have the best record in the league, rank first in offensive rating and defensive rating and have +/- of 11.8. Meanwhile the Mystics are 1-3-1 against the spread over their past five games, so the Aces should be able to take care of business on the road on Saturday night.
New York Liberty at Minnesota Lynx
8 p.m. ET, Target Center, Minneapolis
Line: Liberty -9
Money line: Liberty (-480), Lynx (+360)
Total: 166.5 points
BPI prediction:
Liberty: 75.7% chance to win.
Projected margin of victory: 7.8 points
Injury report
Liberty: Marine Johannes (day-to-day)
Lynx: Lindsay Allen (out), Natalie Achonwa (out)
Fantasy streamer: Dorka Juhasz (rostered in 35.7% of ESPN leagues) remains a very good streamer for managers even with Jessica Shepard back in the rotation. The Lynx selected Juhasz 16th overall in the 2023 WNBA Draft and she has been a gem for them this season. She has scored at least 20 fantasy points in three of her past four games and dropped 26 fantasy points against the Liberty on July 26.
Best bet: Lynx +9.0. The fourth-best record in the WNBA, going 17-11 since starting out the season 0-6. Minnesota is also 8-3 against the spread in their past 11 games. The Liberty have a frustrating habit of not closing out games and the Lynx are looking to tighten their grip on their spot for the playoffs. This game should be closer than this spread suggests.