The New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury meet in the WNBA today. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. EDT at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Ariz. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
The Liberty are favored by -2 on the spread, with the over/under set at 164.5 (-110o / -110u). The Liberty are a -130 favorite to win outright, while the Mercury are +110 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Liberty vs. Mercury predictions and WNBA picks.
Liberty vs. Mercury Odds, Pick
| Liberty Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2 -115 | 164.5 -110o / -110u | -130 |
| Mercury Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2 -105 | 164.5 -110o / -110u | +110 |
- Liberty vs. Mercury Spread: Liberty -2 (-115), Mercury +2 (-105)
- Liberty vs. Mercury Over/Under: 164.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Liberty vs. Mercury Moneyline: Liberty -130, Mercury +110
- Liberty vs. Mercury Best Bet: Breanna Stewart Under 22.5 Points+Assists (-130)
Liberty vs. Mercury Preview
This series between the New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury figures to be a tight one, as these two teams are very similar on paper. They finished with identical records in the regular season (27-17), and the Mercury were just two points ahead on net rating as they are slightly more stout defensively.
However, Mercury's defense is going to be the key in this series, and it will significantly impact Liberty forward Breanna Stewart. The Mercury allowed the fewest points and assists per game to opposing forwards.
We saw them shut down Stewart this season. She had three quiet nights against Phoenix following a 35-point outburst against them in June. It's clear they made significant adjustments and appear to have Stewart's number heading into this series.
Liberty vs. Mercury Prediction
In addition to Stewart being contained by Mercury, she has also been held in check overall. She went under this total 52% of the time this season, which includes seven of her final 10 games.
All signs point to Stewart having a quiet start to the playoffs.
Best Bet: Breanna Stewart Under 22.5 Points+Assists (-130, bet365)
