There is a battle between two of the most recognizable franchises in the WNBA when New York Liberty visit Indiana Fever on Saturday night.
Indiana (15-10) will be playing the second leg of a back-to-back situation after beating Seattle 110-107 on Friday.
It was a roller-coaster ride in which the Fever led by 11 after the first quarter, trailed by as many as eight in the fourth and then recovered late for their fifth win in the last seven games.
New York (13-11) has not played since last weekend, when it lost back-to-back games at Minnesota and Toronto on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
With tipoff set for 8PM ET on CBS, it's time to break down the matchup and discuss the best bets to make.
New York Liberty vs. Indiana Fever betting picks and predictions
Indiana Fever ML (+100)
Indiana is in much better form and is also playing at home. The only real concern is that the Fever are playing back-to-back games, but past history - albeit an extremely small sample size - is encouraging.
Their only other back-to-back scenario this season came last Wednesday and Thursday, when they followed up a 106-92 loss at Los Angeles with a 92-89 victory at Phoenix.
Additional good news for the Fever is that one of their best players - if she takes the court - will be well rested.
Center Aliyah Boston sat out Friday's win because of what was cited as a leg injury, but there is no reason to think that such a development was anything more than load management with another game looming 24 hours later.
Boston also did not play in the first leg of last week's back-to-back situation. The 24-year-old out of South Carolina is averaging 17.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game this season.
New York is mired in a three-game losing streak and has dropped seven of its last nine contests. The Liberty have not won on the road since June 23 at Las Vegas.
As if that isn't problematic enough for the visitors, their infirmary report is discouraging. Forward Satou Sabally (10.4 ppg) has missed the last six games with a concussion and will miss at least three more through the All-Star break.
Fellow forward Leonie Fiebich (10.0 ppg) has not played since July 3 because of a foot issue and there is no timetable for her return.
Under 177.5 (-110)
A modest total of 158 points were scored the last time these two teams tangled on June 6. Neither team shot better than 40 percent from the floor or 32 percent from three-point range.
It should also be noted that last month's matchup stayed way under the 174.5 number even though New York shot a whopping 40 free-throws and made 33 of those attempts.
There is no reason to expect anything different in the rematch largely based on what the Liberty bring to the table.
They ranked second in the Eastern Conference in scoring defense, giving up 84.5 points per game. At the other end of the floor, they are missing a combined 20.4 ppg from Sabally and Fiebich.
All things considered, the Under looks like the play to make.
Caitlin Clark over 17.5 points (-112)
Who wants a day off when you just did that?!?! Caitlin Clark went for 45 points last night, shooting 11-for-18 from the floor, 6-for-10 from three-point range and 17-for-19 from the charity stripe.
That should be just what the doctor ordered for Clark, who had previously been held to 13 points or fewer in three straight games.
Of course, don't forget that she had scored at least 19 points in eight consecutive contests prior to that brief cold stretch.
New York Liberty vs. Indiana Fever odds
New York Liberty | -120 |
Indiana Fever | +100 |
Spread | NY Liberty -1.5 |
Total Points | O/U 177.5 |
New York Liberty vs. Indiana Fever player props
Player points
Breanna Stewart (NY Liberty) | O/U 20.5 |
Sabrina Ionescu (NY Liberty) | O/U 16.5 |
Jonquel Jones (NY Liberty) | O/U 14.5 |
Kelsey Mitchell (IND Fever) | O/U 23.5 |
Caitlin Clark (IND Fever) | O/U 17.5 |
Aliyah Boston (IND Fever) | O/U 16.5 |
Read betting picks and predictions for the NBA on site.
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.
