INDIANA FEVER AT CHICAGO SKY EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — June 23, 2024

INDIANA FEVER AT CHICAGO SKY EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — June 23, 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 Indiana Fever (7-10 SU, 9-8 ATS) taking on the Chicago Sky (5-9 SU, 6-8 ATS).

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

Tipoff

When: Sunday, June 23, 2024 @ 4:00 PM ET

Where: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, IL

TV: ESPN

Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky – In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Fever Continue Its Dominance Over The Sky

After missing the playoffs the last seven seasons, the Fever entered the 2024 campaign, hoping to contend for a postseason berth. That sentiment seemed like a pipe dream, though, as the team dropped 10 of its first 13 games. Over the past week, however, Indiana’s stock is trending upward, courtesy of a season-high four-game winning streak.

This includes wins over the Sky and the Washington Mystics, bookended by a pair of wins over the Atlanta Dream. In the team’s recent 91-79 victory over Atlanta on Friday night, NaLyssa Smith erupted for a team-high 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds. She shot 10-for-17 from the field and had two blocked shots as well.

Kelsey Mitchell added 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Caitlin Clark contributed 16 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. Indiana had a solid game at both ends of the floor. The team shot 56.9 percent overall and 52.4 percent from 3 while blocking seven shots. Additionally, the Fever held Atlanta to just 33.8 percent shooting from the floor and 22.2 percent from beyond the arc (4-for-18).

Will The Sky Get Their First Win Against Their Conference Rivals?

Meanwhile, the Sky have been struggling a bit lately. After posting four wins through their first nine games, they endured a season-high four-game losing skid, including a 91-83 defeat at the hands of the Fever on June 16. Thankfully, Chicago ended that streak with an 83-72 win over the Dallas Wings on Thursday night.

In that game, three of the Sky’s starting five scored in double figures. Marina Mabrey tied for team-high scoring honors with 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field and 3-for-6 from 3-point range. She also tallied four assists. Chennedy Carter also finished with 19 points and added two assists.

But the story of the night belonged to Angel Reese. Chicago’s forward scored 16 points and hauled in a season-high 18 rebounds. She set a WNBA record, becoming the first rookie in league history to post seven straight double-doubles.

“It’s super exciting for myself,” Reese said after the game. “I try to give myself some grace and tell myself I’m doing a good job, but I have so much more to grow, and I’m just excited to be in this league.”

It is also worth noting that the third meeting between Reese and Clark is expected to set a record for WNBA ticket sales. The average ticket price for this matchup is $291, with the cheapest tickets going for $208. This is a testament to women’s basketball’s growing popularity.

Will the Fever roll to their fifth straight win, or will the Sky finally break into the win column against their conference rivals? Now that we have set the table for the Eastern Conference showdown, let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

The Spread

Although they are 0-2 against Chicago this season, the Fever enter this matchup as a one-point favorite (per Lineups.com). Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season.

• The Fever have covered the spread four times in their last five outings.
• Indiana is 9-3-1 against the spread in its last 13 matchups against Chicago.
• Meanwhile, the Sky have failed to cover the spread four times in their last five games.
• In Chicago’s last 11 matchups against the Fever, the team is just 2-7-2 against the spread.

Prediction: Indiana Fever (+1)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 168.5 points (per 365scores.com). Here is why going with the “over” is the smart choice.

• In the Fever’s last five outings, the OVER total is a perfect 5-0.
• The OVER total has prevailed 12 times in the last 13 matchups between these two ball clubs.
• In the Sky’s last five games, the OVER total is 4-1.
• In the previous five meetings between these teams at Wintrust Arena, the OVER total prevailed all five times.

Prediction: OVER 168.5 points

Player Prop Bet

Fresh off her 16-point, seven-assist performance against the Dream, Caitlin Clark is my key player to watch in the third installment of this Fever-Sky matchup. She currently has -120 odds of scoring more than 17.5 points and -110 odds of finishing with less than 17.5 points.

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

• On the season, Clark is putting up 16.2 points per contest.
• In the previous two matchups against Chicago this season, Clark has averaged 17.0 points per contest on 50 percent shooting from the floor.
• Clark has played against Eastern Conference teams 12 times this season, averaging 15.5 points per outing.
• In nine road contests, the Fever guard is averaging 15.7 points per game.
• Over her last 10 outings, Clark has averaged 16.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per contest, exceeding the points total for this matchup five times during that stretch.

Prediction: Caitlin Clark OVER 17.5 points