WNBA Best Bets: Expert Picks, Player Props, Prediction (Saturday, May 18)
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever dribbles the ball while being guarded by Betnijah Laney-Hamilton #44 of the New York Liberty in the second quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
It's a loaded day in the WNBA as we sit back, relax, and kick our feet up to a Indiana Fever rematch against the New York Liberty in Brooklyn set for a 1 p.m. ET tip on ABC with the Los Angeles Sparks vs. the Las Vegas Aces tipping off after for the daytime doubleheader.
And don't worry, there will be another double dose of games for the night cap as the Chicago Sky face the Dallas Wings and an Atlanta Dream and Phoenix Mercury matchup to end the night, all on NBA TV.
Our experts give 3 of their best picks and predictions for Saturday, May 18 so let's hop into the WNBA best bets and expert picks for today.
WNBA Best Bets Today | Saturday, May 18
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| 1 p.m. | ||
| 1 p.m. | ||
| 10 p.m. | ||
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our WNBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Fever vs. Liberty
By Braxton Reynolds
New York cruised to a 36-point victory over Indiana on Thursday night, and they should once again comfortably prevail here.
The Liberty were 3rd in offensive rebound rate last season due to Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. The duo snagged a combined 8 offensive rebounds against Indiana on Thursday, and they likely dominate the glass again. This will lead to plenty of second chance points and free throws, which both hold a large expected points per possession. Sabrina Ionescu's outside shooting and overall gravity will punish the Fever if they aggressively help on the clear paint mismatch.
New York also allowed the second lowest restricted area FG% last season, and their frontcourt remains disruptive. As a result, Aliyah Boston will struggle to make a significant scoring impact – she went 5/15 from the field in their previous matchup.
Finally, Caitlin Clark is still adjusting to the professional level, so her projected impact on the game is inflated by online sportsbooks at the moment.
I would play this spread to -17.5 points.
Pick: New York Liberty -14 (-110)
Fever vs. Liberty
The Liberty are favored by 14 points, and given what we saw just two days ago, that might be generous.
They absolutely housed the young Fever, who are getting smashed to start the season — the scheduling Gods did no favors.
I think it'll be another blowout, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will likely see a lot of Caitlin Clark again.
Clark, as we've been saying, likely won't average 20 points this season, sorry to disappointment new followers of the W. She's clearly going to be really good, but the elite scoring won't start this soon. Laney-Hamilton helped hold Clark to 2-for-8 shooting, and Clark had just nine points in her home debut.
Maybe it'll be a little better, but I don't think she'll reach 20 because of the defense, and because a blowout would lessen those odds.
Pick: Caitlin Clark under 19.5 points
Dream vs. Mercury
By Dano Mataya
After a year off, Tina Charles is back in the WNBA and looks as polished as ever. Coming off her 21 and 14 performance in her Atlanta Dream debut against the Sparks, she gets to go up against the team she had an infamous contract divorce with. The added motivation with the lack of size poses an incredible opportunity for Tina to have a a big night. Would play up to 14.5.
Pick: Tina Charles Over 12.5 Points up to 15.5 (+105)
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