Washington and New York clash in the first round of the WNBA playoffs! Head on to our WNBA series with this Mystics-Liberty odds, prediction, pick, and how to watch.

The New York Liberty are expected to go the distance to a 2023 WNBA Finals appearance, but they will need to get through the Washington Mystics first. The two teams played three hard-fought matchups in the regular season, and don't expect the intensity level to be any different in this one.

The Liberty arrive to the playoffs as the second seed, nearly eclipsing the Las Vegas Aces down the stretch for the top spot. They have the best record in the league in the second half of the season, arriving to the playoffs on a 14-2 tear since the All-Star break. They will need to overcome their most recent loss to the Mystics last weekend to get a head start in the series at home.

Here are the WNBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

WNBA Playoffs Odds: Mystics-Liberty Odds

Washington Mystics: +9.5 (-110)

New York Liberty: -9.5 (-110)

Over: 163.5 (-115)

Under: 163.5 (-111)

How to Watch Mystics vs. Liberty

TV: ESPN 2

Stream: Fubo

Time: 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT

*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Mystics Could Cover The Spread

The Washington Mystics have been one of the grittier teams in the league, despite their record landing them with a seven seed. They were a game away from sitting in the top five, and that is with the extensive injuries they have dealt with throughout the season. After getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs a year ago, the Mystics have something to prove as they try to pull a massive upset against one of the league's best squads.

They have shown to be able to hang tough with the top teams, with two of their three games against New York ending with buzzer-beaters. The two teams first faced back in June, where the Liberty escaped by one point in overtime. In the second edition, a banged-up Mystics team hung tight in July, losing by single digits. All of that culminated in Sunday's final regular season matchup, where Washington star Brittney Sykes stole the show with a much-needed game-winner as the horn sounded.

The Mystics had the misfortune of losing their 6-foot-5 center, Shakira Austin, who has been a dominant force on the defensive end. Austin went down with a hip strain in the OT game against the Liberty back in June and wasn't able to return until August. She played in a few games as the Mystics heated back up, but re-aggravated the injury at the end of the month, and is reportedly going to miss the first two games of the series. It is unknown if she can make it back for a potential win-or-go-home game three, but the team could certainly use her 10 points per game and 7 boards.

The team will have to rely on their other stars to keep in them competitive, and their will be a heavy focus on Brittney Sykes. She just dropped 20 on Sunday in addition to her game-winning lob and is the team's leading scorer by games played. She hasn't missed a single one this year, and is averaging nearly 16 ppg. She will be joined by Elena Della Donne, who has overcome a plethora of injuries to get back in playoff shape, and also puts up 16 a game. The pair should be able to put up points, and will have some assistance from guard Natasha Cloud, who also dropped 17 in Sunday's win.

Why The Liberty Could Cover The Spread

The New York Liberty have been on a torrid pace since the All-Star break, dominating the majority of their opponents by double digits. One of their only losses came at the hands of the Mystics in their final regular season contest, who needed a buzzer-beater to survive New York. The Liberty and their experienced core will look to avenge that game with the added motivation of the playoffs on Friday night.

The big three of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones have really started to mesh in the second half of the season, and have a chance to light up the scoreboard together in the playoffs. Jonquel Jones has a favorable matchup down low, with Mystics center Shakira Austin out for at least the first two games of the series. Jones should be able to feast in the paint, and the Liberty are 13-1 when she has double-digit shot attempts.

The first game of a playoff series tends to be a looser matchup, as seen by the Las Vegas Aces dismantling their opponent by nearly 30 points on Wednesday in Game 1. The Liberty are 16-4 in games decided by 10+ points and have certainly been putting the hurt on many of their opponents in the latter half. They went 9-1 in August, winning seven of those by double digits. They also put the hurt on the defending champion Aces, winning 3 of four highly anticipated contests against them, and all were largely blowouts. At the end of the day, the Mystics have hung tight with the Liberty this year in impressive fashion, but you can only sit close with a team of this talent level for so long before they blow the doors off, especially without your best player.

Final Mystics-Liberty Prediction & Pick

The New York Liberty are seeking revenge over the Washington Mystics for ending their eight-game win streak, and have the defeat fresh in their mind. Their big three will be able to put up numbers, and they will look to flex their muscles in the first game of the series at home, where they can pick up their first double-digit win over Washington this year. Additionally, look for this affair to stay in the higher scoring zone after all three regular-season matchups went over 177. While it is the playoffs now and the series may tighten up in later games, the Liberty are out for blood on Friday night and should be able to get a lead without looking back.

Final Mystics-Liberty Prediction & Pick: New York Liberty -9.5 (-110), Over 163.5 (-115)