The Fever are on their way to the desert to face Mercury in Phoenix. This is a revenge match for Phoenix after the Fever won the last game a little over a week ago. Still, with no Clark, this should be a closely contested game between two of the best in the league!
Caitlin Clark Out
None
We’ve seen Indy on the rise while the Mercury have settled out. The Fever have closed the distance in the standings to only a few games, and with the recent momentum favoring Indy, this could be a close game.
For the Indy, they need to maintain the scoring intensity they’ve been thriving on. With Kelsey Mitchell leading the way, it’s been impressive to see this team achieve so much success without their star. However, at this point, it would be unfair not to recognize Mitchell and Boston as stars on the team, as they continue to dominate. The two of them are averaging an incredible combined 35 points and 10 rebounds per game, and they’ve been everywhere. The team overall has also been on a remarkable trajectory, going 7-3 over their last 10 games. Overall, the matchup in Phoenix will be tough, but it’s hard not to believe in this team.
It’s not like the Mercury are pushovers. They’ve been one of the best teams in the league all year. However, following a rough end of July stretch, the polish has tarnished a bit. They’ve struggled a bit with size as well, with teams like Atlanta and Minnesota giving them some real trouble. The concerning thing for Phoenix is that they’ve struggled to beat anyone of the top teams lately. When you look at the team stats, you’ll notice they’re basically middle of the pack in every major counting stat. This team just doesn’t jump off the page in any meaningful way, which explains how they’re good but maybe not great right now. One caveat is that they’ve been on the road a lot lately, which could be the reason for their slips. Now that they’re back at home, things might start swinging back in their favor.
This matchup will be interesting. While I love the talent on Indy, I think they might be slightly weaker tonight. Coming off a loss to LA on Tuesday and finishing a 4-game road trip in Phoenix, they’ll be at a disadvantage. Given how strong the Mercury play at home, I think they’ll win tonight. That’s why I’m going with the Mercury moneyline, the over on the 172.5 points total, and the Phoenix -3.5 spread.
Money line: IND (+145) / PHO (-175)
Total Points: 172.5
Spread: +3.5 IND (-108) / -3.5 PHO (-112)
Boston has been leveling up her game over the last few weeks. Her scoring, which used to come in a bit more sporadically, has evened out a bit. In her last 5 games, she’s been hovering right around this 16-point mark. Considering her performance in the last game against the Mercury, where she scored 22, and that was a little over a week ago, I really like the matchup here.
Thomas' shooting has been all over the place. She’s gone from 20 shots a game down to 9. It’s a bit of a gamble which version you'll get, but since her numbers have been decreasing over the last three games, the under looks appealing. Given that the Fever have a solid defense, I don’t think we’ll see a repeat of last game with Thomas versus the Fever.
This might be my favorite prop for the entire game. Howard can be a solid rebounder, but she’s been very inconsistent. One night she’ll have 16, and the next just 3. Either way, with the line set at 7.5, the under looks extremely appealing. Howard is only averaging 6.8 boards a game and only had 6 boards against Mercury in their last game, so if there’s a line to take tonight, it’s probably this one.