WNBA Odds, Spreads & Picks August 31st – Picks for Tuesday Games
- The WNBA kicks off a new week on Tuesday, Aug. 31st with four games airing on Twitter, NBA TV and Amazon Prime Video
- All four games feature teams continuing to try and fight for playoff positioning with about three weeks left in the regular season
- See below for the latest odds, analysis and the best bets for Aug. 31st
To kick off the start of a new week in the WNBA and to wrap up the month of August, eight teams will take the floor on Tuesday, Aug. 31st in a quartet of games around the league.
To begin the night, the Los Angeles Sparks will visit the Indiana Fever at 7 p.m. ET on Twitter and the Connecticut Sun will play the Washington Mystics at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV. After those two games, the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx will battle at 8 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video, followed by the nightcap of the Chicago Sky playing the Phoenix Mercury at 10 p.m. ET on NBA TV.
August 31st WNBA Odds
| LAS vs IND | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Sparks | -3.5 (-114) | -176 | Over 151.5 (-114) |
| Indiana Fever | +3.5 (-106) | +142 | Under 151.5 (-106) |
| CON vs WAS | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| Connecticut Sun | -8.5 (-118) | -470 | Over 149.5 (-110) |
| Washington Mystics | +8.5 (-104) | +350 | Under 149.5 (-110) |
| NY vs MIN | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| New York Liberty | +9.5 (-115) | +360 | Over 164.5 (-110) |
| Minnesota Lynx | -9.5 (-104) | -500 | Under 164.5 (-110) |
| CHI vs PHX | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| Chicago Sky | -1.5 (+100) | -110 | Over 163.5 (-114) |
| Phoenix Mercury | +1.5 (-122) | -110 | Under 163.5 (-106) |
Odds as of Aug. 31st at FanDuel
Playoff Implications
Every game on the schedule will feature a team in the playoff race with the exception of the Los Angeles vs. Indiana game which features a Fever squad at the bottom of the WNBA standings.
With seven of the eight teams taking the floor Tuesday night trying to obtain the best possible seeds for the playoffs, that means there are plenty of postseason implications on the line in the home stretch of the year.
Going into the new week with about three weeks remaining in the #WNBA regular season, here are the updated league standings: pic.twitter.com/vPR70t2T2X
— Mitchell Hansen (@M_Hansen13) August 30, 2021
Los Angeles is currently on the outside looking when it comes to the postseason picture, so that game will be important for the Sparks to claim. Connecticut is still trying to claim the top seed in the standings, while Washington is tied for the 8th and final spot in the league. Minnesota and New York are both trying to improve their positions as current playoff squads, and Chicago and Phoenix are right next to each other in the standings going into the matchup.
Over the final few weeks until the playoffs tip off, the postseason picture will continue to heat up with every game taking place on the schedule. But Tuesday will be another key night for playoff implications.
Key Games to Watch
Although all four games will likely be entertaining on Tuesday, the two later games are contests worth watching for multiple reasons.
The first game features the Liberty and the Lynx, a contest that will take place at 8 p.m. ET in Minnesota on Amazon Prime Video. New York enters at 11-16 overall and tied with Washington for the 8th seed in the league standings. Minnesota on the other hand comes in at 15-9 and as the 4th seed in the standings.
On the grind. 💪 pic.twitter.com/IQgjSbupQL
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 30, 2021
The Liberty and Lynx have played twice this season, with the two teams splitting the season series to this point. So Tuesday’s game will also decide the tiebreaker in the three-game series, although it likely won’t be needed since they are a few seeds apart from each other right now.
The second game worth watching features the Sky and Mercury at 10 p.m. ET in Phoenix on NBA TV, two teams right next to each other in the WNBA standings. Chicago comes in at 14-12 on the year and as the 6th seed, but are just 1.5 games behind Phoenix (15-10 overall) and the 5th seed.
One more win and we are in. Be there with us on Tuesday when the Mercury return to the @FootprintCNTR and look to clinch a playoff spot!
🆚 @chicagosky
⏰ 8/31 7PM PT
🎟 https://t.co/Uzhp4geThX pic.twitter.com/Kz7u1achYc— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) August 28, 2021
Both the Sky and Mercury want to win this contest, as Phoenix is also just a half-game behind Minnesota for the 4th seed and will clinch a playoff berth with a win, but it will make things even more interesting with whichever team comes out on top.
Predictions and Best Bet
With the playoff implications on the line and just flat out entertaining games filling the schedule on Tuesday night, we are in for a fun night in the WNBA once again to begin the new week.
When it comes to who you can expect to come out on top at the end of the night, let’s go with Los Angeles, Connecticut, Minnesota and Phoenix pulling out victories.
For the best bet of the night, take a look at the Sparks and Fever contest and Los Angeles being 3.5-point favorites. The Sparks have been playing some solid basketball as of late and will be playing a struggling Fever squad, even though the game is in Indiana. Pick Los Angeles covering that spread in the game.
- Best Bet: Sparks -3.5 (-114)
Mitchell has a decade of experience in journalism, marketing, communications and digital fields, having covered sports teams and leagues on all levels. He has spent more than seven years covering the WNBA and NBA, among other sports. You can follow him on Twitter @M_Hansen13.
