Connecticut vs Phoenix Betting Odds: Sun Poised for Second-Half Run

The Phoenix Mercury will host the Connecticut Sun to tip off the second half of the WNBA season. After opening as a 5-point favorite, Connecticut is now up to -8.5 (-110). It’s also -390 to win outright, with Phoenix priced at +330. The projected total has held steady at 162.5 (-110).

Read on for more Connecticut vs Phoenix betting odds.

Best of the Rest

The Connecticut Sun went 15-5 in the season’s first half, establishing themselves as the WNBA’s biggest contender outside of the two “Super Teams,” the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty. Still, Connecticut is a +2500 longshot to win it all.

Connecticut has won three straight and is 8-2 away from home, matching the most road wins in the WNBA. It is third in the WNBA standings, 3.5 games behind 19-2 Las Vegas.

Forward Alyssa Thomas has become a legitimate MVP contender, ranking second in minutes (36.2). assists (8.1) and steals (2.0) per game.

Thomas is also tied with Indiana’s NaLyssa Smith for second in rebounding (9.7). Furthermore, the 31-year-old Thomas is the first player in league history to record at least 300 points, 175 rebounds and 150 assists over a 20-game span. She entered the week third in the MVP oddsboard at +1600, trailing both Breanna Stewart (-325) and A’ja Wilson (+350).

To return to the WNBA Finals, Connecticut will need to withstand the loss of uber-talented forward Brionna Jones.

Jones, a two-time All-Star and the league’s 2022 Sixth Player of the Year was averaging a healthy 15.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals when she ruptured her right Achilles tendon in a July 6 win over the Seattle Storm.

Jones still ranks fourth in the league in field-goal percentage (57.1). Keep that in mind when assessing the Connecticut vs Phoenix betting odds.

Mercury Playing Out the String

The Phoenix Mercury have dropped four of their last five and are 4-15 overall. Only Seattle (4-16) has more losses. Given the expectations in the preseason, it’s a bitter disappointment.

The Mercury, remember, were a +2500 championship pick in late April, good for fourth on the board behind Las Vegas, New York and the Washington Mystics. Now? They’re a +40000 longshot.

It’s certainly no fault of WNBA star Brittney Griner. Griner, who missed all last season while imprisoned in Russia, is averaging 19.5 points, 6.6 rebounds.

She also ranks second in the league behind Wilson in blocks per game (1.9). Her return was celebrated at last weekend’s All-Star Game in Las Vegas, where she threw down a pair of dunks and scored 18 points in Team Stewart’s 143-127 victory over Team Wilson.

While Griner is unlikely to save Phoenix by herself, her presence has been a glimmer of positivity in an otherwise dismal season. There’s already been upheaval within the organization.

Head coach Vanessa Nygaard was fired after 12 games, and Jim Pitman announced his plans to retire as general manager following the season.

The Mercury have been outscored by an average of 9.1 points, most in the league. Connecticut, on the other hand, has the third-best scoring differential (plus-5.7).

Handicapping the Game

Remarkably, Phoenix is still only 3.5 games behind the Chicago Sky for the eighth and final WNBA playoff spot. But do not be mistaken. Phoenix is bad. Really, really bad. There’s no sugarcoating a 4-15 record.

So, despite the star power of Griner, Phoenix appears overmatched most nights. Age is catching up to 41-year-old Diana Taurasi, and six-time All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith remains away from the team for personal reasons. As such, Phoenix has allowed an average of 85.5 points over the last 10 games. The Mercury are just 2-8 during that stretch.

Those struggles seem likely to continue. Because of it, the Sun should be comfortably favored in the Connecticut vs Phoenix betting odds.

For WNBA predictions, odds, analysis and more, visit pointspreads.com

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