CHICAGO SKY VS. NEW YORK LIBERTY EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — July 13, 2024

CHICAGO SKY VS. NEW YORK LIBERTY EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — July 13, 2024 — Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our WNBA coverage here at Godzilla Wins. One of the games on tap from today’s slate features the Chicago Sky (9-13 SU, 9-13 ATS) hosting the New York Liberty (19-5 SU, 10-14 ATS).

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

When: Sunday, July 13, 2024 @ 1:00 PM ET

Where: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, IL

TV: ABC

Chicago Sky vs. New York Liberty Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Chicago Sky vs. New York Liberty – In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Sky Avenge Their Recent Loss To New York?

The Sky kicked off their season with nine losses across their first 13 contests. The good news is Chicago has played somewhat better, going 5-4 across their last nine outings.

In their recent outing — a 91-76 loss to the Liberty — Chennedy Carter scored a team-high 22 points along with five rebounds on 10-of-21 shooting from the field.

Marina Mabrey added 15 points and six boards, connecting on four of her five attempts from beyond the arc. Rookie forward Angel Reese extended her double-double streak to 15 games. She finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Chicago led by as many as 13 points in the second quarter (37-24). However, New York trimmed the deficit to 40-38 at the break.

The Sky kept it close, trailing by just a point heading into the final frame. Unfortunately, the Liberty proved why they are one of the top teams in the association, outscoring Chicago by a comfortable 28-14 margin en route to a 15-point victory.

Can The Liberty Push Their Winning Streak To Three Games?

Meanwhile, the Liberty have been one of the top teams in the league all season, and they have responded well to each of their minor setbacks thus far. On the heels of consecutive losses that dropped them 4-2, the Liberty went on an eight-game tear.

After a 99-93 defeat against the Phoenix Mercury on June 18, New York reeled off five straight wins before an 83-78 defeat at the hands of the Indiana Fever on July 6. Following that loss, the Liberty bounced back with a pair of wins over the Connecticut Sun (71-68) and a double-digit victory over the Sky on Thursday night.

Sabrina Ionescu led a quartet of starters that reached double figures. She paced the team’s offense with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Ionescu also converted four of her seven attempts from deep.

Although her shooting efficiency was not great (5-of-14 overall and 0-for-3 from 3-point range), Breanna Stewart finished with 19 points, six rebounds, and two blocks.

New York also got a solid performance from Jonquel Jones, who contributed 18 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists. This marked the second time New York knocked off Chicago by a double-digit margin within a week.

Can the Liberty roll to another dominant victory or will the Sky finally get into the win column in this season series? Now that we have set the stage for this pivotal Eastern Conference matchup, let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

The Spread

The Liberty opened as a 7.5-point favorite, but the line has moved to 5.5 points at the time of this writing (per OddShark.com). Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season.

• The Sky are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 outings.
• In its last eight home games, Chicago is just 2-6 against the spread.
• Meanwhile, the Liberty are 6-2 ATS in their last eight road games.
• In its last five matchups against Chicago, New York is 4-1 against the spread.

Prediction: New York Liberty (-5.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 163.5 points (per BleacherNation.com). Here is why going with the “under” is the smart choice.

• The total has gone UNDER six times in the Sky’s last nine contests against New York.
• The UNDER total is 4-1 in the last five times these teams have played at Wintrust Arena.
• The total has gone UNDER four times in the Liberty’s last five games overall.
• The UNDER total has cashed in seven times In New York’s last 10 road games.

Prediction: OVER 163.5 points

Player Prop Bet

Following a performance in which she notched her 15th straight double-double, Angel Reese is my key player to watch for the home team. She currently has -110 odds of scoring more than 13.5 points and -120 odds of finishing with less than 13.5 points (via DraftKings).

Here is a look at how her numbers stack up against the projected points total for this matchup.

• On the season, Reese is putting up 13.8 points per contest.
• In the previous two matchups against New York this season, Reese has averaged 13.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
• Reese has played against Eastern Conference teams 13 times this season, averaging 13.5 points per outing in those contests.
• In 11 home contests, the Chicago Sky forward is averaging 14.2 points per game.
• Over her last five outings, Reese has averaged 15.4 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest, exceeding the points total for this matchup twice during that stretch.

Prediction: Angel Reese OVER 13.5 points