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Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever take on the Connecticut Sun in the postseason. Our WNBA playoffs odds odds series has our Fever Sun prediction, odds, and pick. Find out how to watch Fever Sun.
The Indiana Fever were 1-8 through nine games in a 40-game WNBA regular season. Not only were they losing games left and right, but they were getting smashed by large margins. It didn't seem that Caitlin Clark would be able to lift Indiana to the playoffs.
She proved, once again, that she's a superstar for a reason.
One of the details attached to Indiana's brutal start to the season was that the Fever were playing high-end opponents. Another key nuance of that early-season losing binge for the Fever is that they were playing a lot of games packed into a short amount of time. Clark, whose college season ended in early April, attended the WNBA draft in late April and went straight to preseason camp with the Fever. She had virtually no offseason after leading Iowa to the Women's Final Four and the national championship game against South Carolina. Clark was worn out. The schedule in late May and early June did her and the Fever no favors. Clark didn't really have much of a chance to adjust to her new situation, her new teammates, and to a grueling professional schedule.
As soon as the schedule eased up, with more rest days and more manageable opponents, Clark began to find her footing. So did the Fever. Cohesion improved. Quality improved. Toughness improved. Role players such as Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull began to take off. Indiana started the season 1-8. The Fever then won 15 of 21 to climb above .500. They finished the season at 20-20, a tremendous result considering how awful they were in the first third of the 40-game season (3-10 through 13 of the 40 games).
Standing in Caitlin Clark's way in the first round of the playoffs is Connecticut. The Sun can reasonably be viewed as a second-tier title contender. They have a shot at the big prize, but they're not on the first tier of title contenders. New York and Minnesota are the two best teams. Connecticut and Las Vegas are the challengers to the Liberty and Lynx.
Connecticut's status as being a second-tier title contender — as opposed to a first-tier contender — is underscored by the fact that the Sun are not heavy favorites in Game 1 or this series in general. Remember: In the first round of the WNBA playoffs, the higher seed gets the first two games of a best-of-three series at home. If the higher seed can't win the series in those first two games, however, the winner-take-all Game 3 is on the home floor of the lower seed.
Connecticut therefore needs to win each of the first two games of the series to avoid a trip to Indianapolis for a deciding game in front of what would be a roaring Fever home crowd going nuts for Caitlin Clark. The pressure is squarely on the Sun here in Game 1, with Caitlin Clark and her teammates playing with house money.
Here are the Fever-Sun WNBA Playoffs odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
WNBA Playoffs Odds: Fever-Sun Odds
Indiana Fever: +5 (-112)
Moneyline: +176
Connecticut Sun: -5 (-108)
Moneyline: -220
Over: 163 (-110)
Under: 163 (-110)
Article Continues Below
How To Watch Caitlin Clark, Fever vs Sun
Time: 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
TV: ABC, ESPN Plus
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (Free Trial)*
Why The Fever Can Cover The Spread/Win
Caitlin Clark has grown so much in confidence and knowledge in her WNBA rookie season, but the real key for Indiana is the growth of teammates Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull. When they play well, Caitlin Clark is harder to defend and Indiana becomes a deep, balanced team. Connecticut struggled late in the season, and it's easy to see Indiana staying close enough to cover the spread.
Why The Sun Can Cover The Spread/Win
Caitlin Clark has learned a lot this season, but she doesn't know how intense the WNBA playoffs are. Connecticut has battle-tested veterans who are going to be ready for the moment … and for Clark.
Final Fever-Sun Prediction & Pick
Our lean is to the Sun, but we think this is a game you should enjoy and study. It's not the best Sunday playoff game to bet on. Maybe wait for a live play.
Final Fever-Sun Prediction & Pick: Sun -5
