The Indiana Fever host the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday night, with both of the WNBA's marquee stars healthy and ready to go.
Indiana and Las Vegas have met twice this season, and the Fever have dominated both matchups.
They won the first meeting on July 5th, 84-68, and followed that up with a 109-75 victory; both wins came in Las Vegas.
A'ja Wilson missed the first game; she returned for the second but was clearly limited so Thursday marks the first time these two clubs meet with both Wilson and Caitlin Clark fully available.
It all means it's the most anticipated WNBA regular-season meeting of the year.
The Fever come in at 19-11 and riding the momentum of a strong July, during which they averaged over 100 points-per-game and set a new WNBA record for 100-point games in a single season.
The Aces are 21-10 and among the two or three best teams in the league, with Wilson back to full health after multiple injury absences earlier this summer.
Tip-off at Gainbridge Fieldhouse is at 7:00 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video.
Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever betting picks and predictions
Fever ML (+100)
Indiana's two wins over Las Vegas this season have come by 34 and 16 points, respectively.
The first was without Wilson, but the latter result, a 109-75 blowout at T-Mobile Arena, came with Wilson playing 31 minutes and scoring 20 points.
That game, and the manner of it, says a great deal about how good this Indiana team is right now.
The Fever are the No. 1 scoring team in the WNBA, averaging 95.5 points per game over the full season while Clark is averaging 21.2 points and 8.0 assists per game and has recorded the fourth triple-double of her career last week against the Portland Fire.
Kelsey Mitchell is on a 14-game streak of scoring at least 20 points, six away from tying A'ja Wilson's single-season WNBA record.
She just dropped 37 points in an eight-point loss against the Minnesota Lynx, while there's also Aliyah Boston, who is the league's most versatile interior presence, averaging 16.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Las Vegas is a legitimate title contender, but they are walking into one of the best home environments in the WNBA against a team that has already beaten them twice.
Indiana's home record (11-5), offensive firepower and recent form all point in one direction.
Back the Fever to beat the Aces for the third time this season.
Kelsey Mitchell Over 23.5 Points (-115)
Mitchell is in the form of her life. She has scored at least 20 points in 14 consecutive games, posting 27 in both previous meetings with Las Vegas, and is six games from tying Wilson's single-season WNBA streak record.
That milestone motivation, combined with the biggest home crowd of the season at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, sets up a performance where Mitchell will want to impose herself immediately.
Las Vegas's perimeter defense is built around Gray and Loyd disrupting ball movement rather than shadowing one scorer, and Mitchell does most of her damage as an off-ball mover who catches and fires before the defense can recover.
She is shooting 43.8% from three and has cleared 23 points in 11 of her last 14 games.
Back Mitchell to clear 23.5 points in front of a packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd.
Under 193.5 (-110)
These teams have cashed the Under in seven of their last 10 meetings overall.
Las Vegas's defense, with a healthy Wilson anchoring the interior, holds opponents to just 80.6 points per game at home when she's in the lineup.
On the road, that number ticks up, but their defensive identity does not disappear.
Indiana has been scoring at will this month, but the Aces are not the Connecticut Sun or the Seattle Storm.
Wilson's defensive rating (105.3) when she plays, versus 109.8 when she does not, reflects how much she changes the shape of a game on that end of the floor.
Both offenses will find moments, but the history of this series and the quality of Las Vegas' defense lean toward a controlled, lower-scoring game than the total implies.
Trust the Under to come in for the sixth straight meeting between these clubs.
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Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever odds
Las Vegas Aces | -120 |
Indiana Fever | +100 |
Spread | IND +1.5 |
Game Total (Over/Under) | O/U 193.5 |
Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever player props
Player points
A'ja Wilson (LV Aces) | O/U 27.5 |
Kelsey Mitchell (IND Fever) | O/U 23.5 |
Caitlin Clark (IND Fever) | O/U 21.5 |
Jackie Young (LV Aces) | O/U 18.5 |
Aliyah Boston (IND Fever) | O/U 15.5 |
Chelsea Gray (LV Aces) | O/U 12.5 |
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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.
