Minnesota Lynx vs. Washington Mystics Expert Pick – June 3rd

MINNESOTA LYNX VS. WASHINGTON MYSTICS EXPERT PICK – JUNE 3rd – Greetings basketball fans. I hope your weekend is off to a great start. We have a pair of WNBA games on tap for Saturday. Our featured matchup includes the Minnesota Lynx (0-6) taking on the Washington Mystics (3-2). 

Will the Lynx finally break into the win column or will the Mystics extend their winning streak to three games? Here is a look at which team has the edge in this matchup and why.

Click here to read more picks from James. 

Tipoff

When: Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET

Where: St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena, Washington D.C

TV: NBCS-DC, Monumental, and BSN

Public Money: Lynx, 76%

Public Bets: Lynx 65%

Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of June 3, 2023

Minnesota Lynx vs. Washington Mystics Season Trends

The Minnesota Lynx are a middle-of-the-pack team from an offensive standpoint as they rank seventh in scoring (78.3 points per contest) and they have the sixth-best offensive rating.

Unfortunately, Minnesota does not make the grade at the defensive end of the court. They are ranked 10th in scoring defense (87.8 points per outing) and they have the second-worst offensive rating, yielding 111.6 points per 100 possessions.

In their most recent outing, Minnesota erased a 10-point deficit, but eventually came up short against the Connecticut Sun, losing 89-84. Napheesa Collier scored a career-high 30 points in a losing effort. 

In addition to losing their sixth straight game to start the season for the first time since 2007, the team’s No. 2 pick in April’s draft – Diamond Miller – is out indefinitely with a right ankle sprain. Simply put, Minnesota is going through some tough times right now. 

On the other side of this matchup, The Mystics are the exact opposite from a statistical standpoint.

They are ranked 10th in scoring (76.5 points per game) and 11th in offensive rating. But despite being a below-average ball club on offense, Washington excels from a defensive perspective, as they have the third-best scoring defense and the second-highest offensive rating.

The Mystics are also limiting the opposition to 28.2 percent from beyond that arc – the second-best mark in the WNBA.

In the team’s most recent outing – a 75-74 win over the Dallas Wings on Friday night – Elena Delle Donne scored a game-high 23 points to go along with 10 rebounds and three assists. 

Minnesota Lynx vs. Washington Mystics Head-To-Head & Betting Trends

The success of head-to-head matchups between these two teams has swung back and forth over the past two seasons.

During the 2021 campaign, Minnesota emerged victorious in two of the three regular-season encounters. In 2022, Washington won all three games by a double margin. Given Minnesota’s horrific start to this season, the odds favor Washington to come out on top in this one. 

The Picks

Over/Under

The projected over/under for this game is 162.5 points. Here are some trends that suggest why going with the UNDER is the better play. 

The UNDER has a 5-2 record in Washington’s last seven contests they have played against an opponent with a losing record. Minnesota is 0-6 on the season.

In Minnesota’s last 27 home games, the UNDER total has prevailed 19 times. 

The UNDER total has hit in each of the last four meetings between these two ball clubs. 

Prediction: UNDER 162.5 total points

The Spread

The Washington Mystics are a nine-point favorite in this matchup. Considering how Minnesota has struggled, this is not much of a surprise. Here is a look at why you should go with the Mystics to win and cover the spread. 

Minnesota is 2-6 against the spread in their last eight outings and they are also 2-6 ATS when playing on one day of rest. 

The Lynx are just 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings between these teams in Washington.

Minnesota is 3-8 ATS in the last 11 head-to-head matchups against the Mystics. 

The Mystics boast a 7-3 record ATS in the last 10 instances they played against teams with a losing record. Again, Minnesota has yet to win a game this season in six tries.