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In Game 1 of the 1st-round of the WNBA playoffs, the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty meet Friday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Mystics vs. Liberty odds, and make our expert WNBA picks and predictions.
The Mystics ended the regular season with a 19-21 record, identical to the Minnesota Lynx, but they lost 2 of 3 regular-season games to Minnesota and as a result, must face the high-octane Liberty in the 1st round of the playoffs.
Washington won 2 of its final 3 games of the regular season, including a 90-88 win at New York in the finale Sunday as a 10.5-point underdog. The Over (162.5) cashed in that game, too, and the upset has to be fresh on the minds of the Liberty.
The Mystics were a thorn in the side of the Liberty all season, as the teams split the 4-game regular-season series, while Washington was 4-0 against the spread (ATS). One of the outright losses on June 25 was an 89-88 setback in overtime. The Over has cashed in the past 3 meetings.
Mystics at Liberty Game 1 odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 7:19 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Mystics +375 (bet $100 to win $375) | Liberty -500 (bet $500 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Mystics +9.5 (-115) | Liberty -9.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 162.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Mystics at Liberty Game 1 picks and predictions
Prediction
Liberty 88, Mystics 81
Moneyline
The Liberty (-500) played well all throughout the season, they won the Commissioner’s Cup, and New York made a late run to challenge Las Vegas for the top overall seed.
However, for all of that work, New York now must face the team which arguably gave it the most trouble all season. It’s a risky bet anytime to wager 5 times your potential return, but especially so here.
AVOID.
Against the spread
The MYSTICS +9.5 (-115) are the play in Game 1 of this best-of-3 series. The Liberty -9.5 (-105) split the regular-season series with Washington, but the Mystics covered in all 4 games, and 5 straight meetings overall dating back to last season.
The Liberty actually failed to cover in their final 3 regular-season games after an impressive 10-2 ATS run in 11 regular-season games and the Commissioner’s Cup from Aug. 4-Sept. 3. It’s been a roller coaster ride against the number for New York, and right now it is on the ride down again.
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Over/Under
OVER 162.5 (-110) is the way to go in Game 1, as we should get plenty of fireworks.
The Liberty closed out the regular season with 3 straight Over results, scoring 88 or more points in each of the games, while forgetting how to play defense. New York allowed an alarming 89 or more points in the final 3 games, including 90 points against Washington on Sunday. The Over actually cashed in each of the final 3 regular-season meetings between these teams.
The Over has cashed in 4 in a row against winning teams for the Mystics, while the total has gone high in 10 of the past 13 against Eastern Conference foes for the Liberty.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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