Today marks the last day of WNBA action for nearly a month, as the league takes an extended break for the All-Star Game and international competition.
Our staff is taking full advantage while it still can, coming through with three best bets for the Atlanta Dream vs. Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings.
So, let's make one more trip to Green Dot City before this break.
Check out all three of our WNBA best bets and expert picks for the two-game slate on Wednesday, July 17.
WNBA Best Bets for Wednesday, July 17
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our WNBA betting staff is targeting from Wednesday's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 1 p.m. ET | |
  | 7:30 p.m. ET | |
| 7:30 p.m. ET | |
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. | ||
Dream vs. Lynx
By Jim Turvey
The final day before the All-Star and international break takes place Wednesday, with the Lynx hosting the Dream in an afternoon Camp Day matchup.
As of writing, Minnesota's Napheesa Collier is listed as questionable, while Atlanta's Rhyne Howard was not on the injury report, implying she might be returning for the Dream.
But for this bet, I want to wait out all that injury news and just look to a trend that has held true all season for these two teams –fast starts by the Lynx and slow starts by the Dream.
Minnesota has been the second-best first-quarter team this season with a +15.2 net rating in the first frame. The Dream, meanwhile, are tied for the second-worst in the league in the first 10 minutes this season at -9.8.
This wire-to-wire bet requires a lead at the end of each quarter. The good news for Minnesota is that the Dream have somehow been even worse in the second quarter with a net rating of -15.6.
Atlanta has played better after the halftime break this season, and it has actually covered several spreads recently, which is why I like leveraging Minnesota's fast starts instead of laying the eight points.
This number sits at +105 right now, and I like it at that number or better.
Pick: Lynx Wire-to-Wire Winner (+105)
| |
Fever vs. Wings
Caitlin Clark Over 15.5 RAs
By Joe Dellera
Caitlin Clark finishes the first half of her All-Star rookie season with a matchup against the Dallas Wings.
The Wings are a highly exploitable matchup. They have the worst defensive rating in the W at 109.3 while playing at the third-fastest pace of 97.36.
Clark has exceeded this line in seven of her last 10 games, and we get a buy-low spot after a brutal matchup against the Minnesota Lynx. Over the past 10 games, the former Iowa star has averaged 17 rebounds + assists.
I like this combo prop as a way to capitalize on the pace, and I don't mind sprinkling Clark triple-double at +1400 at bet365 either.
Pick: Caitlin Clark Over 15.5 RAs
Arike Ogunbowale Over 22.5 Points
I know, I know.
Arike Ogunbowale has averaged just 14.3 points per game while shooting 27.6% from the field and 23.3% from 3 over her last four games. She's scored 13, 13 and 12 after scoring 19 before that — four straight sub-20 point outings.
So yes, we're betting on a slump-buster.
The last time Ogunbowale finished under 22.5 points in more than four straight games in the W (and not due to injury, which was the case at the end of 2022) was in May and June 2022.
I wish this number sat at 20.5, but she's beyond due, and the Indiana Fever pose one of the worst defenses in the WNBA.
Only the Wings are statistically worse, which means we might be headed toward a high-scoring affair, which bodes well for an Ogunbowale resurgence.
