The first weekend of play in Unrivaled league history took place last week with three teams posting 2-0 records, including Laces and Vinyl who meet on Friday at 8:15 PM ET.
Laces hammered Phantom 86-48 in by far the most lopsided result of the opening weekend, before following that up with a 63-43 victory over Mist.
Vinyl hung on to defeat Rose 79-73 on opening night, and then recorded an 84-69 victory over Phantom on Monday.
These two squads, along with Lunar Owls, emerged from the opening weekend unscathed.
See below for our experts’ predictions on this undefeated matchup.
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The most powerful opening statement made in the league last weekend came courtesy of the Laces.
Four-time WNBA All-Star and current Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride posted 28 points while five-time All-Star and long-time Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas added 18 points and eight rebounds as the team easily handed Phantom a 86-48 defeat.
The 38-point differential nearly doubled the next-most lopsided result, which was also a Laces victory.
Only five of the six rostered players saw time in the game, as Jackie Young did not play in either Laces contest.
All five posted double figures in the win over Phantom. That includes reigning WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Tiffany Hayes of the Las Vegas Aces, who had 14 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds against Phantom. The team shot 57 percent from the field, including 48 percent from beyond the arc.
McBride had 21 points and seven rebounds, Thomas had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Hayes contributed 16 points and six rebounds as Laces stayed hot with a 63-43 victory over Mist.
Although Laces’ field goal and three-point percentages slipped considerably in this contest, they again won the rebound battle.
The Laces' huge victories overshadowed a strong opening weekend for Vinyl. Rhyne Howard, a two-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year with the Atlanta Dream, had 33 points, while Dearica Hamby added 17 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists as Vinyl defeated Rose 79-73. Arike Ogunbowale added 10 points in the win.
Three-time All-Star and current Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby had a team-high 22 points while Ogunbowale, a four-time All-Star forward/guard with the Dallas Wings, added 21 points as Vinyl defeated Mist 63-43.
Howard added 14 points and six rebounds. Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston, a former WNBA Rookie of the Year as well as a two-time All-Star, had 11 points.
Vinyl should test Laces much more than their first two opponents, but look for the latter to stay hot with another win while covering the 2.5-point spread as the favorite.
This will be an interesting contrast in styles. Participating in two closer contests helped drive Vinyl’s two game totals, averaging 152.5. With two blowouts, Laces are averaging just 120 points combined with their opponents.
It’s just a small body of work, but both squads have shown they like to run. Vinyl is averaging 82.5 points per game, while Laces is going for 74.5 per contest. The Laces will push the three-point shot as well, having already taken 48 in their first two contests.
With the unique league rule of adding 11 points to the leading team’s total after three quarters as the final tally to shoot for, look for both teams to push to stay within reach after the first 21 minutes.
As both teams vie to take the top spot in the early-season Unrivaled standings, look for Laces and Vinyl to total Over 146.5 points tonight.
View the latest Unrivaled outright betting odds on site.
Laces | -135 |
Vinyl | +115 |
Spread | Laces -2.5 |
Total Points | O/U 142.5 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.