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Sky vs Mercury WNBA Finals Odds – Game 1 Preview and Picks

Mitchell Hansen

by Mitchell Hansen in WNBA

Updated Oct 10, 2021 · 7:02 AM PDT

The Chicago Sky bench celebrate during the final seconds of Game 4 of a WNBA semifinal playoff basketball game against the Connecticut Sun Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021, in Chicago. Chicago won 79-69. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
  • Chicago and Phoenix will kick off the best-of-five WNBA Finals in Game 1 at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 10th on ABC
  • The Sky enter the championship series as the sixth seed, while the Mercury come in as the fifth seed in the postseason
  • See below for the latest odds, analysis and the best bet for Game 1

After both the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury completed upset victories in the semifinals, the two teams will meet up in the best-of-five WNBA Finals with a league title on the line starting Sunday, Oct. 10th.

The sixth seed Sky will hit the road to face off against the fifth seed Mercury at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday on ABC. The first team to reach three wins will ultimately take home the WNBA crown in the coming week or two.

Sky vs Mercury WNBA Finals Game 1 Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Chicago Sky +3.5 (-110) +138 Over 166.5 (-108)
Phoenix Mercury -3.5 (-110) -170 Under 166.5 (-112)

Odds as of Oct. 9th at FanDuel

WNBA Finals Schedule and TV Times

Game 1 – Oct. 10th Time TV information
Chicago at Phoenix 3 p.m. ET ABC
Game 2 – Oct. 13th Time TV information
Chicago at Phoenix 9 p.m. ET ESPN
Game 3 – Oct. 15th Time TV information
Phoenix at Chicago 9 p.m. ET ESPN2
Game 4 (if necessary) – Oct. 17th Time TV information
Phoenix at Chicago 3 p.m. ET ESPN
Game 5 (if necessary) – Oct. 19th Time TV information
Chicago at Phoenix 9 p.m. ET ESPN2

Sky, Mercury Both Look to Continue Underdog Runs

Both Chicago and Phoenix have had quite the journey to reach the WNBA Finals, with both teams playing the underdog role for most of their playoff runs. But neither team has let that stop them, and they now turn their focus to each other for the league title.

The Mercury ended the summer with a record of 19-13 to secure the fifth seed, taking down eighth seed New York in the first round, fourth seed Seattle in the second round and second seed Las Vegas in the semifinals. The Sky finished the year at 16-16 overall to claim the sixth seed, beating seventh seed Dallas in the first round, third seed Minnesota in the second round and top seed Connecticut in the semifinals.

Both Chicago and Phoenix have been impressive in the paint and holding opposing teams in check on that area of the court. The Sky showcased that against a talented Sun team, while the Mercury did the same against the Aces. With that said, this series will likely come down to who can break down the opposing team’s defense more often, a chess match that will be really interesting to follow.

Leading the way for Chicago throughout the playoffs has been Kahleah Copper, averaging 18.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Behind her, Courtney Vandersloot has averaged 14 points, 8.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds, Candace Parker has averaged 13.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and five assists and Allie Quigley has added 13.3 points per game.

For Phoenix, the trio of Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith have once again been the leading force in the postseason. Griner has averaged 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks, Diggins-Smith has averaged 17.7 points and 5.3 assists and Taurasi has averaged 15.2 points, 4.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

Rematch of the 2014 WNBA Finals

The Finals showdown between Chicago and Phoenix features a rematch of the 2014 WNBA Finals, a series which saw the Mercury sweep the Sky to claim their third and most recent league title.

Chicago and Phoenix squared off three times this season, with the Mercury taking all three games. Phoenix won the first contest in Chicago on June 1, later edging out another win in the second game in Phoenix on June 3. In the third game, the Mercury defended home court with a 103-83 win to complete the sweep.

Regardless of how the regular season played out, these teams are much different squads playing well at the perfect time. And the star power and storylines on both sides of the series will be entertaining to keep an eye on starting Sunday in Game 1.

Prediction and Best Bet

Although both teams have been playing well as of late, Chicago has arguably been playing a bit better than Phoenix and has put together more consistent performances to this point in the postseason. With that said, the Sky could likely go into Phoenix and steal a Game 1 win on Sunday to grab a 1-0 advantage in the Finals.

For the best bet of the night, go with Chicago and the spread of +3.5 that was set going into Sunday, especially if the Sky do pull out a road win.

The Pick: Chicago +3.5 (-110)

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