The WNBA Playoffs start Tuesday night, and for two teams, they will end on Tuesday night. That means today could be New Hampshire bettors’ only opportunity to do some Connecticut Sun playoff betting.
DraftKings Sportsbook has markets live for the single-elimination playoff game between Connecticut and the Chicago Sky. The current odds show the Sun as a slight underdog.
Breaking down the Connecticut Sun playoff betting odds
Here are the standard markets at DraftKings as of 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
| Sky vs. Sun, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings lines | Sun +123 Sky -155 | Sun +3 -112 Sky -3 -113 | Over 165.5 -113 Under 165.5 -112 |
The Sun earned the seventh seed in the WNBA postseason with a 10-12 overall record. Connecticut played Chicago twice in the “wubble,” splitting the two contests.
The Sun won the most recent outing these two teams had against each other on Aug. 14. That 3-point win followed up the Sky’s 7-point victory over Connecticut on Aug. 8.
It could be argued that both teams don’t appear to be peaking at the right time. The Sun lost three of their final five regular-season games, while Chicago comes in having lost four of five.
The tight spread seems justified. Statistically, there isn’t a lot of separation between these two teams when all things are taken into account.
Depth will be crucial for victory on Tuesday
To slow down the Sky’s record-breaking offense (Chicago’s 49.1% field-goal percentage is a new WNBA single-season record), the plan is pretty simple: make Chicago work on defense and out-rebound them.
Of course, execution is always more of a challenge than the theory.
DraftKings expects Connecticut to have some success doing that. The book has some Sky totals props, with those lines sitting at 84 or 84.5.
Those numbers are both below Chicago’s season average of 86.7 points per game.
While that might lead you to bet the over, there’s some information that suggests this might be an accurate figure. The Sky were third-worst in the league in turning the ball over, and the Sun’s 9.2 steals per game was second-best in the WNBA.
Additionally, Connecticut was one of the best rebounding teams in the league during the regular season. By contrast, Chicago ranked ninth out of 12 teams in rebounds per game.
The Sun knows the crucial nature of not getting behind a team with a fast-paced and productive offense. For that reason, Connecticut is likely to emphasize taking an early lead.
DraftKings has them +115 on a moneyline to win the first quarter if you like them to accomplish that goal.
In terms of all four quarters, however, this game could likely come down to two factors: which team’s stars will shine brightest and how much energy each team has late in the contest.
The strain of a condensed season will show on Tuesday
For one team on Tuesday night, the effects of playing 22 games in a matter of about six weeks could prove too much. This is where the depth of one of these teams will prove pivotal.
Will the Sky’s record-setting point guard Courtney Vandersloot elevate her teammates to another game? Or will the combination of the Sun’s DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas prove too much for Chicago to handle?
That’s the question bettors have to feel out for themselves when they consider these markets. Chicago and Connecticut are both superior to each other in certain aspects of the game.
DraftKings expects the Sky to power this win out narrowly, but it’s easy to make an argument that the Sun could take this game.
