WNBA Predictions Today: Minnesota Lynx vs Atlanta Dream on July 17

The short-handed Minnesota Lynx look to return to the win column when it hosts the struggling Atlanta Dream on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Minnesota Lynx vs Atlanta Dream Predictions: WNBA Team Analysis

Minnesota, which has been playing without All-Star forward Napheesa Collier in the past few games, is coming off back-to-back losses to the Seattle Storm and the Indiana Fever.

Collier’s absence was incredibly felt in their loss to the Fever on Sunday as the Lynx found themselves struggling to put up points in the final stanza.

1. They will square up against a Dream team who has also dealt with its own share of injury problems this season.
2. Atlanta hasn’t won a game this month and is currently riding a seven-game losing streak.
3. Making matters worse is they have also lost to the Lynx twice this season.

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Will the Lynx continue its dominance or will the Dream keep their playoff dreams alive. The Lynx is the slight favorite heading into this matchup according to the latest Minnesota Lynx vs Atlanta Dream odds.

However, both teams are dealing with separate injury issues, making this upcoming match relatively unpredictable than their previous meetings. Keep scrolling and find out who has the upper hand.

Minnesota Lynx vs Atlanta Dream DraftKings WNBA Odds for July 17

Moneyline

• Minnesota Lynx: -410
• Atlanta Dream: +320

Spread

• Minnesota Lynx: -8.5 (-110)
• Atlanta Dream: +8.5 (-110)

Over/Under (Total)

• OVER 152.5 (-110)
• UNDER 152.5 (-110)

Minnesota Lynx vs Atlanta Dream Injury Report

Minnesota Lynx Injury Report

1. Napheesa Collier – Out
2. Olivia Epoupa – Out

Atlanta Dream Injury Report

1. Jordin Canada – Right Finger – Out
2. Rhyne Howard – Left Ankle – Out

Best Odds for Minnesota Lynx vs Atlanta Dream

• Both teams hit the under in four of their last six matchups. The best Minnesota Lynx vs. Atlanta Dream odds for the under are on DraftKings at -110.
• The Minnesota Lynx has covered the spread in three of their last five encounters with the Atlanta Dream. DraftKings offers the best price for the Lynx to cover the -8.5 spread at -110.
•  The Atlanta Dream is tied for third-best in the league as far as Against-The-Spread (ATS) away record is concerned. DraftKings has the Dream to cover the +8.5 spread at -110.

Why will the Minnesota Lynx cover the spread?

With Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate Napheesa Collier out of commission in the past two games, the Minnesota Lynx have found themselves bleeding for offensive production.

1. Across two games, the Lynx has averaged just 68.5 points, which is far from its 83.4 ppg average with Collier on the floor.
2. The 27-year old Collier suffered from an aggravated plantar fasciitis in her left foot earlier this month.

The good thing for Minnesota, though, is they are taking on an Atlanta Dream squad, who hasn’t been on its best self since June.

1. The Dream has dropped seven consecutive games and hasn’t won a game since its 78-74 upset victory against the Connecticut Sun.
2. The Lynx have also beaten the Dream twice this season, with the last being a 68-55 home win.

However, for the Lynx to continue its run of successes against the Dream, they will need Alanna Smith to step up big time. The 27-year old Smith was held to just four points in 22 minutes of action the last time they faced.

Fortunately for the Lynx that time, they had Collier to carry the scoring cudgels. With their main woman out, Smith needs to shoulder the offensive load for the Lynx together with Kayla McBride to help the Lynx snap its two-game losing streak.

A positive thing for the Lynx was Smith did show up in their loss against the Indiana Fever, tallying 18 points and eight rebounds. McBride, on the other hand, struggled from the field, making just four of its 14 shots.

Should Smith continue to put up numbers and McBride recovers from her current shooting slump, backing the Lynx to cover the -8.5 spread at home against the injury-ridden Atlanta squad offers a significant value at -110.

Why will the Atlanta Dream cover the spread?

If there was a time for the Atlanta Dream to beat the powerhouse Minnesota Lynx, now is. With the Lynx riding a string of losses, the Dream is in prime position to pounce and pull off an upset victory. Of course, speculating is one thing. Actually doing it and beating the Lynx is another.

However, plenty of things have to go right for the Dream to pull off the upset and everything begins with Allisha Gray.

In their last matchup against the Lynx, the 29-year old Gray was only limited to seven points and that’s not even the worst part. Gray also shot one out of 16 from the field and zero-for-eight from three-point country.

Fortunately though, Gray seems to have gotten over from that shooting slump.

1. Although the Dream lost their previous seven games, Gray has actually delivered in those outings and scored in double digits in each one of them.
2. Should Gray continue her play and get enough help from her supporting cast, backing the Atlanta Dream to cover the +8.5 spread is something worth mulling over.

Atlanta will also welcome back guard Aerial Powers to the lineup in this game. Powers, who had 14 points against Seattle last Sunday, was sidelined due to an illness when these last two teams faced.

Plus, the Dream does not have a terrible form as far as ATS record is concerned. In fact, they are one of the best ATS teams away from home. Across 12 road games this season, the Dream is 7-5 ATS, which is tied for third-best in the league.

Final Minnesota Lynx vs Atlanta Dream Prediction: Minnesota Lynx -8.5 (-110) Under 152.5 (-110)

The Atlanta Dream is certainly in a better position than earlier this season to beat the Minnesota Lynx. While Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada are out in this game, they will be welcoming back Aerial Powers into their lineup.

Oh and lest we forget, Lynx top gun Napheesa Collier is out for this game.

However, I still think the Lynx is a way better team than the Dream, which is why I’m backing them to cover the spread at these current odds. I also like the under in this game with the Lynx playing without Collier and the Dream being one of the worst scoring teams in the league.

For context, both teams combined for 123 points the last time they faced and that’s when Collier, who happens to be one of the league’s top scorers, was still in the lineup.