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The Minnesota Lynx take on the Phoenix Mercury. Our WNBA odds series has our Lynx Mercury prediction, odds, and pick. Find out how to watch Lynx Mercury.
A loaded WNBA game slate for Wednesday has five contests, three of them starting in the late-night Pacific time zone (7 p.m.) window. This is clearly the best of the three late games on the docket. Phoenix and Minnesota played a thriller in the Valley of the Sun earlier this season. Minnesota led by six points late in the fourth quarter, but Kahleah Copper hit big 3-point shots to lift the Mercury to a one-point win. It was one of the toughest losses the Lynx have endured this season. When you look at the WNBA standings and realize that the Lynx are half a game behind Connecticut for second place, that one game is the reason Minnesota does not have the inside track to the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, which are now three weeks away as September comes into view.
Minnesota has been excellent after the Olympic break. A fresh, rested, healthy version of Napheesa Collier — who was slowed by injury earlier in the season — makes the Lynx very dangerous. A full-strength, full-speed version of Collier, on a team with tough, rangy defenders whose length gets into passing lanes, makes the Lynx a well-rounded team with the elite scorer who gets crunch-time buckets. Championship teams need that aircraft carrier, and Collier is the one for Minnesota. The Lynx are 22-8 overall, 8-2 in their last 10. Only the New York Liberty (9-1) are better in their last 10 games.
The Phoenix Mercury just lost by double digits at home to the Liberty. They now face the second hottest team in the WNBA. Let's see if facing the league's best team will sufficiently prepare the Mercury for one of the WNBA's other top teams.
Here are the Lynx-Mercury WNBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
WNBA Odds: Lynx-Mercury Odds
Minnesota Lynx: -3.5 (-112)
Moneyline: -172
Phoenix Mercury: +3.5 (-108)
Moneyline: +140
Over: 163 (-110)
Under: 163 (-110)
How To Watch Lynx vs Mercury
Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
TV: Bally Sports North Extra, Mercury Live
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (Free trial)*
Why The Lynx Can Cover The Spread/Win
The Lynx are locked in and playing great basketball. They have very clearly established themselves as a legitimate WNBA title contender. If the New York Liberty are the clear-cut WNBA championship favorite (and they are), Minnesota and Connecticut are the two top challengers by every indication and measurement. With Napheesa Collier healthy, Minnesota deserves the benefit of the doubt against every non-New York, non-Connecticut team it faces in the remainder of this WNBA season.
Why The Mercury Can Cover The Spread/Win
The Merc were shown what a great team looks like when the Liberty beat them on Monday. That test should give Phoenix a healthy awareness of where and how it must adjust. Expect Phoenix to play a better game here and bounce back.
Final Lynx-Mercury Prediction & Pick
Our lean is to the Lynx, but we're aware that Phoenix is probably going to play better here than it did versus the Liberty, so our official position is to pass on this game and wait for a live play. This could be a game in which Phoenix starts well but Minnesota reels in the Mercury in the second half, which means you might be able to get the Lynx +2.5 points as an in-game bet instead of giving 3.5 points on the pregame betting line.
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Final Lynx-Mercury Prediction & Pick: Lynx -3.5
