Oh boy! The first couple of days of the 2022 WNBA playoffs have given us a little bit of everything.
From Connecticut’s dominance over Dallas in Game 1, a thriller between Seattle and Washington and Las Vegas handling business over superstar-talented-deprived Phoenix, we’ve had a lot to talk about.
But nothing has garnered more talking points than the Chicago-New York series, which saw the Liberty use a stunning 13-0 run over the final 3:20 to come from behind and shock the defending champs.
Now the question is whether or not bettors should risk wagering on the Sky to even the series.
Odds via Tipico Sportsbook
Game line bet: Sky ML (-450)
In Game 1’s preview, I wrote specifically how the defending champion Sky wouldn’t lay an egg on their home court.
“Despite New York having all of the tools and personnel to steal Game 1, I’m not seeing it. Candace Parker won’t let her troops come out lackadaisical.”
As it turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The Sky did lay an egg late, but also, the Liberty’s talent that I referenced ended up being more than Chicago could handle down the stretch of the game.
Chicago struggled to defend the pick and roll. Sabrina Ionescu and Marine Johannes operated quite comfortably on offense before Ionescu took command down the stretch. Natasha Howard, Betnijah Laney and Stefani Dolson were also excellent from start to finish.
And while it would be unsurprising for everything to click again for the Liberty’s offense in Game 2, I’ll still take my chances with the defending champs figuring out how to avoid first-round elimination on Saturday.
Player prop bets: Natasha Howard – O 7.5 rebs (-113), Candace Parker – O 15.5 pts (-114), O 4.5 asts (-136)
The New York Liberty are a well-rounded rebounding team. Sabrina Ionescu gets her share of boards, as do Stef Dolson and 6-foot-10 Han Xu. But their leader in that area is Natasha Howard, who averaged 7.3 rebounds during the regular season. Howard has teetered around seven boards per game over her last few seasons, so expecting her to grab any more is certainly a risk. I’m willing to take that risk, though, ahead of Game 2.
So, here’s the thing — Candance Parker ain’t going down without a fight. Regardless of if Chicago wins or loses, Parker will do her part. It’s that simple. I’m expecting some near triple-double type of numbers on Saturday from one of the WNBA’s greatest.
Game Lines
Spread: Chicago Sky -8.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Chicago Sky (-450), New York Liberty (+330)
Point Total: O 168.5 (-112), U 186.5 (-108)