2020 WNBA Championship Opening Odds Co-Favor Sparks & Aces at +350
- The Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks have opened as co-favorites to win the 2020 WNBA Championship at +350
- The Washington Mystics won the 2019 WNBA Championship and are +450 to repeat this season
- See the opening odds for each team in the league and who’s the best preseason bet this year
The 2020 WNBA season is set to start on May 15th (COVID-19 outbreak pending). The Washington Mystics won their first championship last season, defeating the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA Finals.
There are some new top contenders this year as the oddsmakers have favored the Las Vegas Aces and the Los Angeles Sparks. In the opening 2020 WNBA Championship odds, the Aces and Sparks sit at +350.
Other then the Aces and Sparks, there is some interesting value on the board that might be worth taking a deeper look at.
2020 WNBA Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Las Vegas Aces | +350 |
| Los Angeles Sparks | +350 |
| Connecticut Sun | +450 |
| Washington Mystics | +450 |
| Phoenix Mercury | +700 |
| Seattle Storm | +800 |
| Chicago Sky | +1600 |
| Minnesota Lynx | +2500 |
| Indiana Fever | +5000 |
| New York Liberty | +5000 |
| Atlanta Dream | +6600 |
| Dallas Wings | +8000 |
Odds taken March 17th
Are the Favorites That Good?
The Los Angeles Sparks and Las Vegas Aces finished first and second in the Western Conference, respectively, last season.
Both teams lost in the semifinals in the 2019 playoffs, so why are they listed as co-favorites before the 2020 season has even started?
Well for one, the Aces arguably have the best player in the WNBA. Liz Cambage made her third All-Star appearance with the Aces last season.
The Australian forward averaged 15.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in 2019. Cambage is a restricted free agent this offseason, but is expected to re-sign with the Aces.
The Aces did sign five-time WNBA all-star Angel McCoughtry this offseason. McCoughtry missed almost the entire 2019 season rehabbing a knee injury. Despite her age and injury, McCoughtry is still a huge addition for the Aces.
The Sparks got swept 3-0 in the semifinals last season by the Connecticut Sun. Los Angeles made some offseason acquisitions to make sure their stars, Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike, had more help.
The Sparks already resigned restricted free agent guard Chelsea Gray. The Duke product averaged 14.5 points and 5.9 assists with the Sparks last season.
In case you've been away from your computer/phone all day, here's the WNBA Free Agency moves of the day so far:
Angel McCoughtry signs with LV ACES
Jonquel Jones staying with the Connecticut Sun
Kristi Toliver signs with LA Sparks
Megan Gustafson stays with Dallas Wings— Lyndsey D'Arcangelo (@darcangel21) February 10, 2020
The Sparks’ biggest acquisition was signing guard Kristi Toliver who played with the Mystics for the last three seasons. Toliver averaged 13.0 points and 6.0 assists per game last season. Toliver will partner well with Gray in their backcourt.
They also signed four-time WNBA Champion, Seimone Augustus, to add veteran depth to their team. This move is fitting as longtime Los Angeles Sparks guard Alana Beard retired this offseason after 13 seasons in the WNBA.
Other Contenders & Draft Movers
The Washington Mystics, Connecticut Sun, and Phoenix Mercury all have the talent to make a run at the WNBA title. Let’s take a look at some of the offseason moves made by these teams.
The Mystics did not make any big splashes in acquiring players, but they did re-sign their two top players in Elena Delle Donne and Emma Meeseman. Delle Donne took home her second MVP of her career last season, while Meeseman took home her first Finals MVP award.
The Sun went out and acquired elite forward DeWanna Bonner from the Phoenix Mercury. Bonner was traded for three first-round picks. This was a much needed addition for Connecticut, who also lost some bench depth this offseason.
New Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith introduced. pic.twitter.com/SD1AVK6u9S
— azcentral (@azcentral) March 9, 2020
The Phoenix Mercury acquired guard Skylar Diggins Smith from the Dallas Wings and re-signed last year’s leading scorer Brittney Griner. Phoenix lost a few depth players, but received some valuable picks in return.
After trading away every star player on their roster, the Dallas Wings have four first-round picks this year. However, the New York Liberty hold the coveted number one overall pick, which will more likely than not be used to pick Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu.
Best Bet
The Los Angeles Sparks had the most beneficial offseason moves. Adding Kristi Toliver gives the Sparks added guard help and more championship experience to lead this team to the promised land.
They also did not lose a whole lot this offseason, so with the combination of their high-skilled players and the coaching from Derek Fisher, the Sparks are my team to beat this season.
Best Bet: Los Angeles Sparks +350
With 5+ years of sports journalism under his belt, Ryan Sura may be young, but he's already making his mark. Ryan is the lead NHL editor at SBD, along with managing content for MMA, Boxing, and Racing. He is also the commercial manager, highlighting the best promos at online sportsbooks across US.
