The Connecticut Sun and the Minnesota Lynx hope to break the tie as they lock horns in Game 3 of their best-of-five WNBA semifinals series this Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
(Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
Minnesota tied the series at one apiece on Tuesday thanks to a collective team effort that saw all Lynx players hit the score sheet.
- Coming in as 4.5-point favorites in Game 2, the Lynx more than covered the spread with a 77-70 victory over Connecticut.
- Minnesota, however, is coming in as a slight underdog heading into Game 3 as per the latest Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx betting odds tonight.
- It is worth noting that Connecticut has beaten Minnesota in three of their five encounters this year and what’s even more impressive is they beat the same Lynx team 78-73 once at home this season.
With the series lead up for grabs, expect Connecticut and Minnesota to come out strong and impose its presence early in what could potentially be a closely-contested battle. Let’s see how both teams look heading into this pivotal Game 3 matchup in this in-depth Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx sports prediction piece.
Connecticut Sun
vs
Minnesota Lynx
FanDuel
WNBA
Odds for
October 4
Moneyline
- Connecticut Sun: -132
- Minnesota Lynx: +108
Spread
- Connecticut Sun: -1.5 (-112)
- Minnesota Lynx: +1.5 (-108)
Over/Under (Total)
- OVER 151 (-108)
- UNDER 151 (-112)
Connecticut Sun
vs
Minnesota Lynx
Injury Report
Connecticut Sun Injury Report
- Tiffany Mitchell – Illness – Out
Minnesota Lynx Injury Report
Best WNBA odds for
Connecticut Sun
vs
Minnesota Lynx
- The Connecticut Sun have won three times in five matchups with the Minnesota Lynx this season. The best Connecticut Sun odds for the home team to win outright are available on BetMGM at -125.
- The Minnesota Lynx covered the spread in their previous encounter with the Connecticut Sun. BetMGM offers the best odds for the Lynx to cover the spread at -105.
- The under hit in the last five encounters between the Connecticut Sun and the Minnesota Lynx. BetMGM offers the best Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx for the under at -105.
Why will the
Connecticut Sun
cover the spread?
Down by as many as 13 points in the fourth, the Connecticut Sun ignited a massive run late to cut the deficit to seven but that was as close as they could get as the Minnesota Lynx had every answer for their fightback.
Nevertheless, there were a few things that went right for Connecticut in Game 2 and that should give them plenty of confidence as they head home next.
- One of those things were their imposing defense as they did not only protected the paint but also recorded 10 steals and forced the Lynx to commit 12 turnovers.
- Forward Alyssa Thomas has also continued her stellar play, tallying a near triple-double effort of 18 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.
- Versatile frontwoman Dewanna Bonner was also on target with 17 markers while guards Marina Mabrey and Dijonai Carrington added 15 and 14 points each.
With Connecticut seemingly getting production from its key players, one might ask what went wrong in Game 2. Well, the answer was their dismal 25% three-point shooting percentage.
Against a potent Lynx team, the Sun cannot afford to take highly-contested shots from the outside and that’s exactly what they did in Game 2 wherein they only made five of its 20 three-point shots.
Should Connecticut improve its shooting percentage from the outside and continue to play pressure-packed defense against Minnesota, there could be potential value towards playing the -1.5 spread here.
Why will the
Minnesota Lynx
cover the spread?
Unlike Game 1 where they found themselves blindly searching for a response, the Minnesota Lynx had every answer for every Connecticut Sun run on Tuesday.
After leading by as many as 13 in the fourth, Connecticut threatened to mount a comeback but all efforts went to naught with the Lynx answering the former’s run with key baskets on the other end.
- Although franchise player Napheesa Collier was only limited to nine points, her supporting cast stepped up in Game 2, particularly crafty guard Courtney Williams who finished with 17 points.
- Should Collier return to her offensive form and the Lynx get the same offensive support from Williams and other key players, backing them to cover the +1.5 spread at these current odds should be a no-brainer.
- Minnesota also imposed its presence down low out-rebounding the much taller Connecticut team, which led to 11 second chance opportunities.
Lynx Seek to Ignite Collier and Capitalize on Connecticut’s Struggles at Home
One thing the Lynx have to do here though is to get Collier going. While her supporting cast were able to carry the scoring cudgels last time, the 28-year old superstar needs to find her rhythm quick, considering that they are taking on a Connecticut team that is excellent on both ends.
Besides getting Collier going, Minnesota also needs to limit the free throw opportunities of Connecticut. In Game 2, the Sun shot 20 times from the stripe and made 17 of them.
- Despite Connecticut’s play in their past few games, one thing to be optimistic for Lynx supporters here is their team’s impressive ATS away record of 15-6.
- If that’s not good enough, Minnesota is also taking on a Connecticut team that has been historically bad at covering the spread at home this season, sporting just a 7-17-1 ATS slate.
Taking all things into consideration, there could be potential value towards backing the Lynx to cover the +1.5 spread at these current odds.
It is also worth noting that Minnesota was able to cover the spread and beat Connecticut the last time they played on the latter’s home court.
Final Sun
vs Lynx
WNBA Prediction: Minnesota Lynx ML +108
The Connecticut Sun and the Minnesota Lynx each has a case of winning this game. Put simply, this game is a pick ‘em and could go either way.
When that happens, I usually lean towards the underdog and that’s the case here. Considering the offensive and defensive firepower of the Lynx, I expect them to establish their presence early and cruise to a comfortable win for a 2-1 series lead.
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