The Phoenix Mercury snapped a lengthy losing streak on Thursday night, and they're looking to keep the momentum going at home on Saturday against the Minnesota Lynx.
Minnesota is fourth in the Western Conference, but the team has been extremely reliant on Napheesa Collier (22.4 points per game) to keep it afloat on offense.
This should be a close game with a short spread of just two points on Saturday.
There are a couple of key things to note on the injury report in this game:
- Phoenix's third-leading scorer Sophie Cunningham left Thursday's game to be evaluated for a concussion and is listed day-to-day.
- Minnesota's Natalie Achonwa (maternity leave) is still out on Saturday.
Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for this matchup:
Lynx vs. Mercury odds, spread and total
Lynx vs. Mercury prediction and pick
I may come to regret this given how poorly they've played all season, butI'm going to lay the points with the Mercury at home here.
Phoenix is coming off its best performance of the season – a 22-point win over the Indiana Fever – that saw Diana Taurasi start to get things going on offense (17 points on 6-of-13 shooting).
The Lynx have won back-to-back track meets with the Seattle Storm, needing overtime and a Napheesa Collier game-winner to take their last matchup.
However, Phoenix plays a much different style than Seattle, ranking dead last in the WNBA in pace. I think that benefits the Mercury here.
Neither of these teams has been great in terms of their offensive, defensive or net rating numbers, but I can give Phoenix a little pass for two reasons:
First off, Taurasi and Brittney Griner have missed games this season.
Secondly, Skylar Diggins-Smith hasn't played yet (maternity leave) which has left the team in a bit of a disarray. Still, I don't think the Mercury are as bad as they've played this season.
Half of Minnesota's wins this season have come against the Los Angeles Sparks, and the team is 1-9 against teams not named the Sparks or Storm.
I'll take Phoenix as a slight favorite at home.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.