Lynx vs. Sky Odds
| Lynx Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 162.5 -108o / -112u | -265 |
| Sky Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 162.5 -108o / -112u | +210 |
It's surprising to think we're more than one month into a WNBA season featuring 12 teams, and the Minnesota Lynx have yet to play the Chicago Sky.
That unique scheduling quirk will finally end Sunday afternoon when the teams meet at Wintrust Arena.
I'm not sure too many WNBA fans projected a 13-4 start to the campaign for Minnesota. After all, bookmakers set the Lynx's win total at just 16.5 games.
Minnesota is coming off a rare loss Thursday, two days after winning its first Commissioner's Cup.
And while there was always a chance for a possible letdown, back-to-back poor performances are something the Lynx seldom do.
With that in mind, let's make a Lynx vs. Sky pick for Sunday.
Minnesota Lynx
If you were still unsure whether this Minnesota team was for real, its 94-89 victory over the Liberty should be enough to remove any doubt.
The Lynx did something to the Liberty that very few teams have been able to accomplish — they outshot them from the perimeter (42-36).
New York not only won the Commissioner's Cup last year but also reached the WNBA Finals. It has the league's best record (15-3) this season and the highest Offensive Rating (108.9). Moreover, Minnesota has somewhat modeled its team after New York by being more of a perimeter team.
The Lynx (10.1) rank second behind the Liberty (10.5) in 3-point field goals; last season, it finished eighth in the same category with 6.8 per game.
Thus, this improvement in perimeter shooting helps Minnesota significantly outperform some of the league's lesser teams.
Chicago Sky
One thing the Sky particularly struggle with is 3-point shooting. Chicago is currently ranked last in the league with 4.3 3-pointers per game.
To compensate for its poor perimeter shooting, Chicago often needs to finish with more field goal attempts than its opponents. The Sky can often accomplish this by getting second-chance scoring opportunities by working the offensive glass. Chicago sits atop the league in offensive rebounds with 11.2 per game.
However, Minnesota does its fair share of rebounding (35.1), as it's just one spot below Chicago (35.9), which is fourth in the league.
It's worth noting that Minnesota is also the best defensive team in the WNBA, allowing 92.2 points per 100 possessions.
Chicago is also not a great shooting team, ranking 10th in field goal percentage (42.7%). Thus, the Sky will generally try to get easy buckets in transition, as they are second with 13.3 fast-break points per game. It just so happens that Minnesota (13.4) is the one team better than Chicago on the break.
Lynx vs. Sky
Betting Pick & Prediction
Although the Sky are undoubtedly an up-and-coming team, the Lynx are simply a bad matchup for them. Of the few strengths that Chicago has as a borderline playoff team, Minnesota seems to have a counter.
As a result, I'm not particularly surprised Minnesota has taken money since opening as a 3.5-point favorite. While our analysis points to the Lynx as a worthy favorite, this is also an excellent opportunity to back them after a loss. Minnesota has yet to lose back-to-back games this season, as it's both 3-0 straight up and against the spread in this spot.
After shopping around, you can grab the Lynx as a 5.5-point favorite at ESPN BET.
