Liberty vs Mercury Odds: New York Stays in Desert; Meets Phoenix

Liberty’s Spread Gets Wider Despite Mercury’s Record

The New York Liberty look to rebound on the second night of a back-to-back. They head to Phoenix against the Mercury on the heels of their winning streak being snapped by Las Vegas. The public stretched the Liberty vs Mercury odds in favor of New York from its opener of 10 points to 12.5, however, the Mercury have had plenty of success beating the visitors in Phoenix.

Liberty Must Have Short Memories as They Head to Phoenix

All good things come to an end. The Liberty saw their seven-game winning streak snapped brutally by Las Vegas. But the team won’t get time to mourn that loss as they visit the Footprint Center, a place where it has struggled in recent history.

Despite the Liberty vs Mercury odds, New York has won just one of its last seven games in Phoenix. Of course, those New York teams were not nearly as good as the one now. And the short rest might play a factor as it did last year when New York lost playing a back-to-back in Vegas and Phoenix.

The Liberty have been red-hot against the WNBA odds lately. The team covered five of its last six games. Yet on the road, New York is just 7-9 against the spread (ATS). This is thanks to having such wide spreads. New York has the second-best net rating on the road at 7.6 with a 12-3 record. But most of the team’s spreads are greater than eight points.

If it’s hard to trust New York to cover another double-digit spread, bettors can lean on the total to go under. It’s set at 164, which dipped from 165.5. That’s due to New York’s improved defense. Seven of its last eight games have gone under the total. New York held its opponents to an average of 76.6 points in this span.

But on the second night of a back-to-back, it’s possible the team will not have the energy to play its best two-way basketball. A potential shootout is also possible in this game.

Well-Rested Mercury Look to Heat Up Again

While the Liberty are working with fewer than day’s rest, Phoenix has had plenty of it. The team is playing its first game since Sunday – an 81-71 loss in Seattle. The Mercury return to Phoenix where they are 6-1 in their last seven games thanks in big part to Diana Taurasi.

The WNBA’s all-time leading scorer has averaged 25.3 points with shooting splits of 508/436/857 in their last four home games. The team went 3-1 in this span and even upset Connecticut, which is just below New York in the 2023 WNBA standings.

Phoenix has improved since Nikki Blue took over for Vanessa Nygaard, 12 games into the season. The Mercury fired Nygaard after it started 2-10. Since Blue took over, they are 7-11.

“We are in a tough position. We are pretty banged-up. We have a couple of different circumstances going on. It’s going to take patience,” Blue said on a video call months back when she took the job. “So, we’re gonna come out and give it our all every chance we get.’”

Indeed, the team has steep Liberty vs Mercury odds due to its struggles to stay healthy. Phoenix will now be without Megan Gustafson, who is in health and safety protocols. Add her to the injury list that includes Brittney Griner and Shey Peddy. Phoenix brought in Liz Dixon to field a roster of nine active players.

Still, Phoenix continues to light up WNBA scores with 90+ points in its last four home games. Taurasi and co. will need at least this many to take out the Liberty.

For WNBA betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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