INDIANA FEVER VS. WASHINGTON MYSTICS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — July 10, 2024

INDIANA FEVER VS. WASHINGTON MYSTICS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — July 10, 2024 — Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our WNBA coverage here at Godzilla Wins. One of the games on tap from Wednesday’s slate features the Indiana Fever (9-13 SU, 12-10 ATS) hosting the Washington Mystics (5-17 SU, 14-7-1 ATS).

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

Tipoff

When: Sunday, July 10, 2024 @ 12:00 PM ET

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis,  IN

TV: NBA TV,  WTHR-13, and MNMT

Indiana Fever vs. Washington Mystics Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Indiana Fever vs. New York Liberty – In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

The Indiana Fever Seeking Its Second Straight Win

If you have been following the Fever this season, you know that 2024 has been a series of ups and downs for this ball club. Following a 3-10 start, they reeled off four straight wins. They followed that up with a stretch in which they dropped three of their next four contests.

Fortunately, this team bounced back strongly with an unlikely 83-78 win over the New York Liberty on Saturday. In that contest,  four of the team’s starting five reached double figures.

Caitlin Clark scored a team-high 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds. Although her numbers were not overly efficient,  as she shot 7-of-17 from the field and just 3-of-12 from beyond the arc, Clark is the first rookie in WNBA history to post a triple-double.

“Obviously, it’s really cool,” Clark said after the game. “My teammates have been finishing the ball really, really at a high rate. My assist numbers, that’s because of them.”

Aliyah Boston finished with 18 points and eight boards. This marks the fourth time in five games in which the Reigning Rookie of the Year has scored at least 17 points.  Meanwhile, Kelsey Mitchell contributed 14 points, four rebounds, and two assists.

New York led by a 62-55 margin heading into the fourth quarter. However, Indiana cranked up its defensive intensity, outscoring the Liberty by a 28-16 margin en route to its first victory over New York in four tries. This group will look to continue that success against the Mystics on Wednesday night.

Can The Struggling Mystics Get Back On Track Against The Fever?

Meanwhile, the Mystics have had a horrific season, to put it nicely. They kicked off the 2024 campaign with 12 straight losses. Nope. That is not a misprint.  Washington has played better over the past several weeks, posting a 5-5 record across their last 10 games.

However, they enter this matchup, having suffered back-to-back losses against the Las Vegas Aces (98-77) and the Minnesota Lynx (74-67). In the seven-point loss to Minnesota, Ariel Atkins tied for team-high scoring honors with 15 points (6-15 FG and 3-9 3PT), four assists, and three steals. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough added 15 points and four rebounds off the bench, while Stefanie Dolson contributed 10 points and five rebounds.

Despite their 5-17 record, the Mystics played the Lynx pretty tough. They overcame an early 11-point  deficit and held a 57-55 advantage heading into the final frame. Unfortunately, Washington produced just 10 points in the game’s final 10 minutes en route to the team’s fourth loss in five outings. Can the Fever build on their success from the win over the Liberty, or will the struggling Mystics pull off the upset?

Now that we have set the stage for this Eastern Conference matchup, let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

The Spread

Following their win against New York, Indiana comes into this matchup as a 5.5-point favorite (per OddShark.com). Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season.

• The Fever have covered the spread seven times in their last nine outings.
• Indiana is 4-2 ATS in its last six games against Washington.
• Meanwhile, the Mystics are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games.
• In its last five “road” matchups against Indiana, Washington is 1-4 against the spread.

Prediction: Indiana Fever (-5.5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 167.5 points (per Bet365.com). Here is why going with the “over” is the smart choice.

• In the Fever’s last 20 outings, the OVER total is 14-6.
• The total has gone OVER six times in the Mystics’ last nine games.
• The teams have exceeded the points total for this matchup three times in their last five head-to-head encounters.

Prediction: OVER 167.5 points

Player Prop Bet

Fresh off posting the league’s first-ever triple-double by a rookie, Caitlin Clark is my key player to watch in this matchup. She currently has -125 odds of scoring more than 16.5 points and -105 odds of finishing with less than 16.5 points (via DraftKings).

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

• On the season, Clark is putting up 16.1 points per contest.
• In the previous two matchups against Washington this season, Clark has averaged 24.0 points per contest on 51.9 percent shooting overall and 47.4 percent from the 3-point line.
• Clark has played against Eastern Conference teams 14 times this season, averaging 15.9 points per outing in those contests.
• In nine home contests, the Indiana Fever guard is averaging 17.1 points per game.
• Over her last five outings, Clark has averaged 15.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 11.2 assists per contest, exceeding the points total for this matchup three times during that stretch.

Prediction: Caitlin Clark OVER 16.5 points