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The Indiana Fever (0-2) and New York Liberty (2-0) meet Saturday afternoon at Barclays Center in the 2nd end of a home-and-home set. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (ABC). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Fever vs. Liberty odds, and make our expert WNBA picks and predictions.
Season series: Liberty lead 1-0
The Liberty crushed the Fever 102-66 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Thursday night, easily covering an 8.5-point spread as the Under (170) cashed.
F Breanna Stewart went off for the Liberty, posting 31 points on 12-of-21 shooting while also collecting 10 rebounds with 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocked shots. F Jonquel Jones chipped in with 14 points, 10 boards, 4 dimes and 3 blocked shots.
Jones, Stewart and G Betnijah Laney-Hamilton were each 6 of 6 from the free-throw line while hitting 95.7% (22 of 23) as a team.
The blowout loss ruined the home debut of G Caitlin Clark. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft was limited to just 9 points on 2-of-8 shooting, including a dismal 1-of-7 from behind the 3-point line. She did cut down her turnovers, with just 3 miscues, after opening with 10 TO at Connecticut Tuesday.
As a team, Indiana was a poor 36.7% (22 of 60) from the field and just 26.3% (5 of 19) from behind the 3-point line. New York posted a healthy 40-to-26 rebounding advantage, too.
Fever at Liberty odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:30 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Fever +875 (bet $100 to win $875) | Liberty -1600 (bet $1,600 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Fever +14.5 (-115) | Liberty -14.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 168.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Fever at Liberty picks and predictions
Prediction
Liberty 92, Fever 71
Moneyline
The Liberty (-1600) will set you back 16 times your potential return. While New York won at Indiana by 36 points, and it seems certain it will get another win in the 2nd end of the home-and-home, there is no way to justify risking that much for such a small reward.
PASS.
Against the spread
The LIBERTY -14.5 (-105) are laying an awfully big number, but they had no trouble covering in a lopsided victory in Indiana in the front end of the set.
The Fever +14.5 (-115) has Clark, but she has struggled to adjust to the pro game so far, hitting just 7 of 23 shots in 2 games while averaging a very ordinary 14.5 points, 4.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals with 6.5 turnovers per game. She has hit 5 triples, and Clark is a perfect 10 for 10 from the free-throw line.
Clark will get going, but the truth of the matter is the Fever don’t have a lot of complementary pieces. Good teams are going to double Clark and force others to beat them, and it’s painfully obvious during the early going that if Clark’s shot isn’t falling, there isn’t anybody else to pick up the slack.
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Over/Under
UNDER 168.5 (-110) is worth a look, but a half-unit play again.
The total just came in low in Thursday’s front end of the home-and-home set, cashing by a half-point to a full point at most shops.
Indiana is averaging just 68.5 PPG in 2 games, cashing the Under in each of its outings to date.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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