The first three games of the 2020 WNBA season showed that some teams are more prepared to take the court than others. That went for individual players as well. The challenge for those seeking to win WNBA DFS picks and bettors on WNBA games on Sunday is, who will those players and teams be today?
As I stated about yesterday’s Indiana Fever vs. Washington Mystics game, legal online sportsbooks can expose themselves by focusing too much on a team’s star power and ignore the quality of its depth. That’s why the spread was far too small and the total far too low on that game.
Finding those values again today follows the same formula. Look for the team that the oddsmakers have taken too lightly and then make them pay.
How to legally bet and make WNBA DFS picks on Sunday
If you’re in or near one of 11 jurisdictions, you can legally wager on WNBA games online; as long as you are of age (at least 21 in most states), physically located within the jurisdiction’s borders (you do not have to be a legal resident of these areas, merely there when you place your bet), and are placing your wager(s) with an operator licensed by that jurisdiction. Here are the options:
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Nevada
- New Hampshire (minimum age is only 18)
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
Brick-and-mortar sportsbooks in other states, like New York and Washington, may soon offer lines on WNBA games as well. The online sports betting brands that are offering lines on WNBA games right now include:
- BetRivers (Sugarhouse in New Jersey)
- DraftKings
- FOX Bet
- GambetDC
- Oregon Lottery Scoreboard
If you’re new to these sportsbooks, you can register for an account online in just a few minutes and with a few pieces of information, except for in Iowa and Nevada. Those two states require bettors to visit a retail sportsbook associated with the sportsbook app of their choice to complete your registration.
FanDuel will accept your WNBA DFS picks in most states and the District of Columbia. If you aren’t sure, you can check your location here. If you’re in an eligible location, you can register for an account easily and quickly completely over the Internet.
DeWanna’s debut brightens Sun’s outlook
With Courtney Williams in Atlanta and Jonquel Jones skipping this season, DeWanna Bonner is the face of the Connecticut Sun this season. When they take on the Minnesota Lynx at noon ET on ESPN, they could become a liability for sportsbooks if Bonner doesn’t have a monstrous first game in a Sun uniform.
BetRivers/Sugarhouse has Minnesota as a +115 underdog on its moneyline. It’s true that Connecticut has won three of the past five meetings with the Lynx, but again, that was with Jones and Williams on the court and against a Lynx team that was finding its identity.
Skip forward to Sunday, and Minnesota may be deeper than the Sun. 2019 Rookie of the Year Napheesa Collier pairs perfectly with Rachel Banham in the backcourt. Karima Christmas-Kelly has established herself as a legitimate starter. Then, of course, the ageless wonder Sylvia Fowles is still patrolling the lane for the Lynx.
If Fowles is able to limit Bonner, I like the rest of what Minnesota has on the floor better than what the Sun bring to the table. I’m taking the +115 moneyline on the Lynx.
Playoff rematch? Not so much actually
The media hype around the Chicago Sky vs. Las Vegas Aces 3 p.m. ET on ABC game is that it’s a rematch of that thrilling playoff quarterfinals game from last season. There are several reasons why this isn’t true.
However, both of these teams are actually quite different from the teams that played in that game. Las Vegas won’t have Kelsey Plum or Liz Cambage. Additionally, A’ja Wilson may be limited.
At the same time, Chicago has beefed up its interior presence with Azurá Stevens and rookie Ruthy Hebard. Combining that pair with Stefanie Dolson gives the Sky a frontcourt on par with its impressive backcourt.
Despite those facts, DraftKings and FOX Bet have Chicago as its largest underdog of the day at +155. FOX Bet has a few lines that are even more tempting.
Bettors can get +400 odds on a Sky win and either over or under 176.5 on the total. The book is also offering +550 on Chicago winning by 6-10 points.
I’ll take that last bet. If the Aces can clog passing lanes, they might be able to cloud the Sky, but with Courtney Vandersloot running the offense, the forecast is clear. Take the +550 on Chicago winning by 6-10 points.
The award for toughest pick goes to…
When the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings begin their seasons against each other at 5 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network, the challenge for bettors is to pick which ensemble of characters will form a cohesive unit more efficiently than the other.
The consensus total on this game is set at 150.5 points, and that should prove pretty accurate. Both of these teams are sound defensively and can cover the entire court.
Dallas comes in as a consensus +100 underdog, but the action on Atlanta isn’t far off at -125. Suffice to say, the oddsmakers don’t have a lot of confidence either way.
The Dream will be without center Kalani Brown, which might give Wings bigs Astou Ndour and rookie Bella Alarie a lot of room to operate. Then again, Atlanta may have the edge in the backcourt and from distance.
BetRivers/Sugarhouse is offering some attractive odds on ties in 3-way moneylines for specific halves and quarters. Those markets might be the best opportunities to take a flyer with a potential for a great payout.
As far as a pick in this game goes, I’ll take the Dream simply because of their superior depth on the whole. If Dallas is able to pound the ball inside, however, it could be a long night for Atlanta. Those Wings bigs are the focus of my WNBA DFS picks for today as well.
Double-Dipping on DFS Sunday
As I expect Chicago’s and Dallas’ bigs to be effective in their games, the trick is to not only fit them but the backcourt players feeding them today. Fortunately, there are ways to make it work within FanDuel’s budget.
- Courtney Vandersloot – 7,200: She’s the second-most expensive guard but should be worth every penny today. If Las Vegas collapses to clog passing lanes, she’ll find Diamond DeShields cutting or her wife Allie Quigley on the perimeter. If the Aces try to trap her, she’ll find the open player for an easy bucket.
- Arike Ogunbowale – 7,400: FanDuel’s undervaluation of other players enables me to afford her today. I expect her to be as dangerous in distribution as putting the ball on the floor against Atlanta.
- Kayla McBride – 5,100: When she’s on the court, the offense goes through her. At this price, I’ll buy McBride all day long.
- Azurá Stevens – 3,800: It’s uncertain how many minutes she’ll get with Dolson and Hebard in the mix, but at this price and the Aces as depleted as they are in the frontcourt, I’ll take her.
- Astou Ndour – 6,600: Bella Alarie may have the bigger upside at this point but Ndour is the proven product. I trust her to expose the absence of Kalani Brown.
- Satou Sabally – 5,100: If she didn’t exist in the same draft class as Sabrina Ionescu, she would have been the undisputed top pick. I expect her to play off Ndour and Ogunbowale like she did Hebard and Ionescu in Oregon.
- Kayla Thornton – 4,600: I’m risking putting too many eggs in one basket with this choice but it’s hard to pass on her average of nearly 22 fantasy points per game last season at this price.
Whether you’re playing DFS, placing a bet, or both today, good luck. Win or lose, the games should be great entertainment.
Follow me on Twitter @dhellingsport. Be sure to check out Beyond Women’s Sports for more articles on amazing women and their sport.
