The Washington Mystics look to carry their late-season surge into the playoffs when they host the Chicago Sky in Thursday night’s regular-season finale.
The Mystics host the Sky at Capital One Arena at 7:30 PM ET with Washington still having something to play for on the final night of the regular season.
Washington enters at 27-16 after winning three consecutive games and eight of its last 10. The Mystics can secure the No. 5 seed with a victory and an Indiana Fever loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
Chicago is 16-27 and eliminated from playoff contention after struggling down the stretch.
The matchup has heavily favored Washington this season. The Mystics won the first meeting 90-72 at home June 2 before delivering a 110-80 road rout last Thursday.
Washington shot 55% from the field in the latter victory and led by as many as 32 points. All five Mystics starters scored in double figures, led by Shakira Austin’s 20 points. Kiki Iriafen added 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Chicago Sky vs. Washington Mystics betting picks and predictions
Washington Mystics -12.5 (-115)
Washington is a massive 12.5-point home favorite, with a -850 moneyline, while Chicago sits at +575.
The size of the spread creates some risk, but there are plenty of reasons to back Washington.
The Mystics have been one of the WNBA's hottest teams down the stretch, winning eight of their last 10 while averaging 90.0 points per game. They have outscored opponents by 8.3 points per game during that stretch.
Chicago has struggled recently and enters the finale severely depleted.
DiJonai Carrington, Skylar Diggins, Rickea Jackson and Azura Stevens are among the players unavailable for the Sky. Washington will be without Sonia Citron, but otherwise enters the game in considerably better shape.
The Mystics have also dominated this matchup.
They won the first meeting by 18 points, then dismantled Chicago by 30 last week. Washington scored 110 points on 55% shooting in that victory and outrebounded the Sky 40-27.
Chicago will lean heavily on Kamilla Cardoso. She has averaged 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds over her last 10 games, but finished with just 10 points and seven rebounds against Washington last week.
Iriafen gives Washington an imposing presence inside, averaging 15.3 points and 9.5 rebounds this season.
Washington is 14-7 at home, while Chicago is just 5-16 on the road. The Mystics are also 26-17 against the spread this season compared with Chicago's 22-21 mark.
Thirteen points is a lot to lay, but Washington has covered an even larger number against Chicago in both previous meetings.
Take the Mystics to win and cover.
Under 168.5 points (-110)
Last week's meeting produced 190 points, making the Under appear dangerous at first glance.
However, Washington needed an exceptional offensive performance to push the game that high.
The Mystics scored 110 while shooting 55% from the field, well above their season average of 45.3%.
Washington averages only 83.6 points for the season and has built its playoff run largely around defense. Mystics opponents average 82.5 points and shoot only 43.0% from the field.
The bigger question is how much offense Chicago can generate.
The Sky are missing several important scorers and have averaged just 81.4 points over their last 10 games. They have also struggled in this matchup, scoring 72 and 80 points in two losses to Washington.
The Mystics have been even better defensively recently. They held Indiana to 77 points on Sunday before limiting Connecticut to 69 on Tuesday.
That makes another offensive explosion like last week's less likely.
The game could also slow considerably if Washington builds another large lead. The Mystics begin the playoffs after Thursday's finale and will have little incentive to push their starters deep into the fourth quarter of a blowout.
Chicago should struggle to reach its season scoring average against Washington's defense, and reaching 100 points again requires another unusually efficient shooting performance.
Expect Washington to control the game without producing another 190-point shootout.
Read more betting picks and predictions for the WNBA on site.
Chicago Sky vs. Washington Mystics odds
Chicago Sky | +575 |
Washington Mystics | -850 |
Spread | WAS Mystics -12.5 |
Total Points | O/U 168.5 |
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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.
