The Chicago Sky will visit the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on ION.
This is the third game between these teams this season, and so far the Sun have won both matchups and even covered a 7.5 point spread in their most recent win over the Sky. Since then, the Sun have added some more firepower to their roster, courtesy of none other than the Chicago Sky.
Over the Olympic break, Connecticut acquired veteran guard Marina Mabrey in an attempt to add another perimeter threat to their offense. However, Mabrey went 4-17 in the Sun’s loss to the Dream last Sunday and only scored five points against the Sparks In her most recent outing. This will be the first meeting between these teams since the trade, so I could see the Sky wanting to make a point here.
As Mabrey continues to adjust to her new team, I’ll be looking to one of her former teammates on the Sky. Let's get to my Sky vs Sun WNBA prediction for Friday.
Sky vs. Sun Prediction
Sky +11 (-110) at FanDuel
Under 155.5 (-110) at BetMGM
Chennedy Carter Over 20.5 Points + Assists (-122) at FanDuel
Sky vs. Sun Odds
| Sky Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+11 -114 | 153,5 -110 / -110 | +490 |
| Sun Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-11 -106 | 153.5 -110 / -110 | -750 |
Chicago Sky: Heavy Reliance on Chennedy Carter
Since Mabrey’s departure, Chennedy Carter has seen an increase in her already high usage and her assist percentage as the new main ball-handler. The Sky rely heavily on Carter to do it all, especially with Mabrey gone, so I’ll look for Carter to exceed 20.5 points and assists.
Granted, Carter has not gone over this number in either of her games versus the Sun this season. However, she also didn’t play more than 17 minutes in either game. Carter recently returned to action after an illness, playing in back to back games last weekend. Now, she has had the week off to rest up and should be back to full force.
As for the total, Chicago is just 10th in the league in scoring with 78.7 PPG, and their defense ranks sixth in points allowed per game (81.7). This sends me towards an under play.
Connecticut Sun: Best Defense in the League
Connecticut currently has just a half-game lead over the Minnesota Lynx who are in third.
In the Sun’s most recent win over the Sparks on Tuesday (in the first-ever WNBA game played at TD Garden in Boston), they needed a heroic 14-2 run with four minutes left in the game to secure the win. They shot just 38.4% from the field.
The Sky should be able to stay within striking distance if the Sun continue these erratic scoring slumps, so I'll take the Sky +10.5.
On the plus side, the Sun do house the best defense in the league allowing just 73.5 PPG, which also lends itself to an under play here.
Danielle Alvari's Sky vs. Sun Prediction
Betting Pick & Prediction
Both teams sit at the bottom half of the league in pace and lack consistent or efficient offensive production, so I’ll take the under here. As for Carter, the volume is definitely there and she has gone over this number in seven of her last 10 games. Given both teams scoring struggles, I could see the Sky being able to stay in this enough to cover +10.5 .
Not to mention, the gap between the Dream and the Sky for the eighth and final playoff spot has shrunk for the Sky from three games to 1.5 in less than a week. Chicago needs wins to stay in contention, so motivation should be high.
Pick: Under 155.5 (-110)
Pick: Chennedy Carter Over 20.5 Points and Assists (-122)
