Coming off a convincing win against the Sky, the Washington Mystics head south to take on the Atlanta Dream for a home-at-home.
Both are in identical positions in the standings, each with a 12-24 record. Atlanta also has lost two in a row and suffered a devastating defeat to Washington the last time both squads faced off in June.
What can we expect, and where does the value lie? Read more for my Mystics vs Dream prediction.
Atlanta Dream vs. Washington Mystics Prediction
The Atlanta Dream is the clear sharp side in this contest. With a win, they remove the Mystics from the playoff picture and are in lockstep with the Chicago Sky at 13 wins. I expect the strong guard play from the Dream to take care of the Mystics who are still missing one of their key frontcourt players, Shakira Austin.
Mystics vs. Dream Pick: Dream -2.5 (-115)
Mystics vs. Dream Odds
| Mystics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 157 -110o / -110u | +138 |
| Dream Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 157 -110o / -110u | -170 |
Washington Mystics: Fade Candidate
The Washington Mystics come into this game as winners of six of their last eight, however now is the time to fade them.
The recent run has caused the Mystics to be bumped up in the power rating by 1-1.5 points, and I think that is a false flag. They faced a Sun team when they were first integrating Marina Mabrey. They faced a Mercury team that was experiencing their late-season downturn with an older roster.
Now the Mystics, still without Shakira Austin, have to play a hungry game on the road in Atlanta.
Atlanta Dream: Own the Tiebreaker
The Dream are vying for the last playoff spot in the WNBA, tied with the Mystics and are one game back of the Chicago Sky.
The Sky are reeling with injuries and are not playing well at all. The Dream also are ahead in the tiebreaker against Washington, so they only need to win one of the next two to keep them at bay.
Look for the Dream to have the pedal to the metal in this game and push the pace, hoping their strong guard play leads to a win.
Mystics vs. Dream: Sharps Betting the Home Team
Betting Pick & Prediction
The line for this game opened at Dream -1, and there has been one-sided sharp action coming in on the home team.
The line is now -2.5 or -3.5 universally, and I believe the -2.5 is still worth playing.
The most important WNBA numbers range from 4-8, so the movement through the 2 is OK to still play while there are market indicators it will close north of -3.
Dream vs. Mystics Pick: Mystics -2.5 (-115) via FanDuel
