Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever meet on Tuesday night in a matchup between two playoff teams with plenty still at stake in the final week of the regular season.
The Lynx visit the Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 8 p.m. ET with Minnesota able to clinch the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs with a victory.
Minnesota improved to a league-best 32-10 with a 101-89 victory at Connecticut on Sunday, snapping a three-game losing streak.
Napheesa Collier scored 23 points, while Olivia Miles added 21 and broke Caitlin Clark's WNBA rookie scoring record. Miles now has 790 points this season, surpassing Clark's previous record of 769.
Indiana enters at 27-15 after suffering a 93-77 home loss to Washington on Sunday. Clark scored 25 points and Kelsey Mitchell added 22, but the Fever fell behind 51-30 by halftime.
Minnesota won the first meeting 108-100 at home Aug. 2. Miles scored 28 points and Courtney Williams added 27, while Mitchell poured in 37 for Indiana.
The teams will meet again Thursday in Minnesota to close the regular season.
Minnesota Lynx vs. Indiana Fever betting picks and predictions
Minnesota Lynx -1.5 (+100)
Minnesota is a 1.5-point road favorite with a -115 moneyline, while Indiana sits at -105.
The Lynx average 91.3 points per game while allowing only 83.8. Indiana possesses the league's most potent offense at 96.7 points per game, but the Fever also allow 90.9 points per game.
Minnesota has been particularly difficult to score against away from home, allowing just 81.7 points per game on the road. The Lynx are 18-1 when scoring more than the 90.9 points the Fever allow on average.
Miles has developed into one of Minnesota's offensive leaders, averaging 19.8 points and 6.0 assists. Her 21-point performance Sunday continued a remarkable rookie season. However, she is listed as questionable for this contest with a calf injury, making her status worth monitoring before tipoff.
Collier gives the Lynx another elite scoring option after contributing 23 points against Connecticut, while Natasha Howard had 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Indiana counters with arguably the WNBA's most dangerous backcourt. Mitchell averages 25.1 points per game, while Clark contributes 22.5 points and 8.4 assists.
Clark is listed as questionable with a back injury after playing through the issue Sunday. She scored 25 against Washington but shot just 6-of-20 from the field and 3-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Minnesota is 21-21 against the spread this season, while Indiana is also 21-21 ATS. The Fever have won five of 11 games as an underdog.
Indiana's 14-7 home record makes the short spread tempting, but Minnesota's defence and its success in the first meeting should help provide the difference.
Take the Lynx to win and cover.
Under 186.5 points (-110)
The first meeting makes this total intimidating. Minnesota and Indiana combined for 208 points in a 108-100 shootout in August.
But 186.5 remains an extremely high number compared with Minnesota's usual games.
Lynx games have produced an average combined total of 173.0 points this season, 13.5 below Tuesday's number.
The Lynx allow just 83.8 points per game overall and an even stingier 81.7 on the road.
Indiana's offence makes the Under dangerous. The Fever average 99.2 points at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
They also demonstrated their scoring ceiling in the first meeting. Mitchell scored 37 points on 14-of-21 shooting, Clark finished with 19 points and 10 assists, and that’s despite Indiana still coming up short.
Sunday offered a reminder that the Fever can also be slowed down. Washington held Indiana to 77 points, including just 30 in the first half.
Minnesota has more defensive talent than most teams Indiana faces, and the Lynx should be better prepared after allowing 100 points in their first meeting.
Expect another competitive game, but not another 208-point track meet.
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Minnesota Lynx vs. Indiana Fever odds
Minnesota Lynx | -115 |
Indiana Fever | -105 |
Spread | MIN Lynx -1.5 |
Total Points | O/U 186.5 |
Minnesota Lynx vs. Indiana Fever player props
Player points
Napheesa Collier (MIN Lynx) | O/U 19.5 |
Olivia Miles (MIN Lynx) | O/U 18.5 |
Kayla McBride (MIN Lynx) | O/U 17.5 |
Kelsey Mitchell (IND Fever) | O/U 25.5 |
Caitlin Clark (IND Fever) | O/U 20.5 |
Aliyah Boston (IND Fever) | O/U 15.5 |
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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.
