The Wings are on the road as their trip heats up in Chicago. With two losses to the Sky already this season, they are looking to bounce back after a tough loss to the Mercury. Meanwhile, the Sky haven’t had much sustained success lately either. They’ve struggled with a tough early schedule but start a four-game home stretch tonight, which could breathe new life into this struggling team.
Kamilla Cardoso Out
Courtney Vandersloot Out
Maddy Siegrist Out
DiJonai Carrington Out
Arike Ogunbowale Out
Tyasha Harris Out
Even though both these teams are well behind in the standings, it doesn’t mean they’re lacking talent. With two of the biggest young stars in the game, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese, this game has plenty of future top talent. The only problem is that the rosters just aren’t ready to compete in this absurdly talented league.
The situation for the Wings has been slightly brighter over the last few weeks, mainly because they've found a replacement center to cover for their injured front court. Li Yueru, acquired through a trade from Seattle, has brought a much-needed skill set. Her size and rebounding have been crucial in helping the Wings secure a few wins. Over the past couple of weeks, they’ve gone 5-5 in their last 10 games. It’s not incredible, but it's a positive step. As for Bueckers, she continues to show promise as a star in the making. Her scoring is impressive, and when paired with a solid guard like Ogunbowale, the team truly has some punch. Unfortunately, Ogunbowale is still out tonight, which leaves the Wings a bit thin in the backcourt.
The Sky are coming into this game a little short-handed as well, but their problems go deeper than injuries. This roster just doesn’t have enough scoring, to put it simply. They’re second to last in points per game, while only shooting slightly below league average at 33% from three and 42% from the field. The biggest issue remains turnovers. They’re leading the league at 15.5 a game, which has been their Achilles’ heel all season. It’s not that there aren’t signs of life, though. Reese and Atkins have pushed this team forward. They may not be the ideal number one and two options, but this team is primed to be great if they can get a bona fide scorer in the building. However, with the way the team is now, tonight could be challenging.
Even with a 2-0 lead over the Wings, I still have my doubts about the Sky in this game. The Wings have been playing much better lately as they’ve come together as a team. They also have size with Li Yueru that they didn’t have in their first two games against the Sky. If the Wings can work through Bueckers and keep the Sky off the boards, they should win this game. That’s why I’m betting on the Wings moneyline, the under on the 167-point total, and the +1 spread for Dallas.
Money line: DAL (-102) / CHI (-118)
Total Points: 167
Spread: +1 DAL (-108) / -1 CHI (-112)
Even with Bueckers’ rapid rise in the W this year, she’s still faced some rough patches here and there. Going against Chicago for the second time this season, she may struggle with Ogunbowale sidelined again. After scoring only 15 in their last game against the Sky, Paige may have a tough time again. In Monday’s game against the Mercury, she only managed 11 points with Ogunbowale out, which doesn’t bode well for the over tonight.
While Reese has shown some growth recently in scoring, she’s still extremely volatile. Her shot attempts fluctuate wildly. She had only 1 attempt a couple of weeks ago, then against the Sparks this past Sunday, she had 19. It’s this volatility that makes her so hard to lock down on a line. That’s why the line moved a little high tonight, but I think that gives the under some excellent value. Considering Reese has only scored 17+ points four times this season, the -130 odds actually look decent.
Yueru is starting to gain more respect for her rebounding since being traded to Dallas. With numerous injuries to the Dallas frontcourt, she’s stepped in as a leading rebounder for the team. She’s also been consistently hitting her overs, and the lines are starting to rise. Even at 6.5, the plus odds make this a great bet. She’s hit 7+ rebounds about 50% of the time, but against the Sky, I believe they’ll need her rebounding presence all game.