WNBA Finals Game 1 Odds & Betting Preview: Mystics Open As 7 Point Favorites

• The Washington Mystics are seven-point favorites to beat the Connecticut Sun in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals
• Washington (#1) and Connecticut (#2) were the WNBA’s top two regular-season teams
• Neither has ever won a WNBA title

The path toward WNBA history begins Sunday for the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun. Neither team has won an WNBA Championship.

That will soon change for one of these teams. Neither of Washington or Connecticut has won a WNBA title in franchise history. As they meet in the league final, the sportsbooks are leaning toward the Mystics outshining the Sun.

For starters, oddsmakers list Washington as the seven-point chalk to win Game 1 of this best-of-five series.

Sun vs Mystics WNBA Finals Game 1 Odds

*Odds taken 09/26/19.

The Mystics were swept in last season’s final by the Seattle Storm. The Sun lost back-to-back WNBA Finals in 2004 and 2005.

Star-Studded Mystics

Led by the reigning WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne, the Mystics are loaded with talent and are among the most explosive offensive juggernauts witnessed in WNBA history.

Emma Meesseman is averaging a team-leading 21.3 points per game in the postseason. She put up a career-high 30 points in Game 2 of the semi-final against Las Vegas. She netted 11 points during a three-minute span in the fourth quarter of Washington’s Game 4 series clincher over the Aces.

Meeseman and Delle Donne combined for 47 points in that game.

Washington’s won 13 games this season by margins of 20 points or greater. The Mystics averaged a league-best win margin of 19.5 points per game.

Team Concept Sun

The Sun doesn’t shine with superstars. Their game is all about consistency and stability. They’ve gone with the same starting five all season long, and are playing the disrespect card as they ready to face the Mystics.

What will it take for the @ConnecticutSun to win a @WNBA championship? @CourtMWilliams says, a cat @jaszthomas & dog @athomas_25 lead a defense hungry for a title! @WTNH #WNBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/7MC0LST0Mp

— John Pierson (@JPPierson) September 25, 2019

The Sun get it done with defense. They limited the Los Angeles Sparks to 66.3 points per game and 39.6 percent from the field during their semi-final sweep.

Meanwhile, Washington surrendered at least 90 points in all four semi-final games against the Aces.

Delle Donne’s Moment

She’s the only player in WNBA history to be named league MVP with two different teams. But what Delle Donne doesn’t have for her trophy case is a championship ring.

She missed last year’s final sweep against the Storm with a knee injury. But she’s healthy now, and on top of her dominant game.

Veteran guard Kristi Toliver is also back in action after missing 11 games with a bone bruise. She made her first start since since August 8th in Washington’s Game 4 win over Las Vegas.

Should You Be Doubting Thomas?

There’s no questioning the courage of Sun power forward Alyssa Thomas. She’s soldiered on through the postseason despite tears in both labrums that are so painful she can barely lift her arms above her head between games.

Alyssa Thomas with the euro step! https://t.co/hDjwap2yQN

— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) August 24, 2019

Thomas netted 22 points in Connecticut’s Game 1 win over the Sparks. But by Game 3, Thomas was limited to 25 minutes. She was 1-for-6 from the field, finishing with two points, five rebounds and six assists.

The full week’s rest prior to Game 1 of the final will help her. How much more can she endure, though?

Go Both Ways With Game 1

Washington lost twice at Connecticut this season. But the Mystics crushed the Sun 102-59 during their lone meeting in the nation’s capital.

The Mystics will win this game, and they will win this series. But just as was the case in Game 1 of Washingtons’s semi-final, the down time tends to favor defenses.

Take the Mystics on the moneyline but play the Sun to beat the spread.

Pick: Washington Mystics (-345); Connecticut Sun [+7.0 (-110)].