Liberty vs Mystics Odds: Injuries Severely Hampering Washington

The Washington Mystics have fallen into a rut of late, with injuries hampering their talented lineup. They’ll look to change their fortunes Friday against the New York Liberty, a top WNBA contender.

New York is an 9.5-point favorite (-110) and -450 to win outright, with Washington priced at +350. The projected total has climbed from 159.5 to 162.5. Read on for our Liberty vs Mystics odds preview.

(Big) Apple of the Eye

The New York Liberty, one of the WNBA’s two new “Super Teams,” is off to a 14-5 start. New York’s .737 winning percentage is second to only the Las Vegas Aces (.909), who have established themselves as the clear team-to-beat at the season’s halfway point.

New York is coming off a 98-88 loss to the Dallas Wings, in which forward Breanna Stewart scored a team-high 25 points. Guard Sabrina Ionescu added 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The defeat snapped the Liberty’s four-game winning streak.

Despite that, the Liberty remain the biggest threat to the Aces, a -300 favorite to repeat. New York’s is priced +300 to win the WNBA title, down from +125 in the preseason.

New York leads Eastern Conference WNBA teams in scoring at 87.8 points per game while shooting a healthy 45.5% from the floor. Stewart, a -300 favorite to win WNBA Most Valuable Player, ranks second in the league in scoring (23.2) and rebounding (9.6).

Injuries Taking a Toll

After a promising start, the Washington Mystics have lost five of eight to fall to 11-9. It’s dropped them to sixth place, though they remain comfortably in the playoffs.

Injuries are to blame for the Mystics’ recent slide. Four players are expected to be sidelined Friday: Ariel Atkins (ankle), Shakira Austin (hip), Elena Delle Donne (ankle) and Kristi Toliver (plantar fasciitis). Keep that in mind when assessing the Liberty vs Mystics odds.

Delle Donne, a two-time MVP and seven-time All-Star, is Washington’s leading scorer, averaging 18.2 points on 49.3% shooting. Delle Donne’s odds of winning another MVP have fallen to +12500, though she’s reportedly receiving the highest ticket percentage, per WNBA news.

Atkins (12.5) and Austin (11.4) are third and fourth on the team, respectively, in scoring average. Without them, the Mystics’ rotation has been makeshift. They’re coming off an 82-76 loss to the Indiana Fever, in which guard Natasha Cloud scored a team-high 19 points and Tianna Hawkins added 13 points and nine assists.

Handicapping the Game

This is already the third meeting this season between New York and Washington. The Mystics won 80-64 in the May 19 opener, and the Liberty answered 89-88 in overtime on June 25. Given Washington’s recent rash of injuries, it’s hard to decipher much from those matchups.

Delle Donne’s absence undoubtedly looms the largest. Without her, the Mystics don’t have anyone who can match the Liberty’s star power. That should bode well for Stewart, who has combined to shoot just 7-of-27 against Washington this season.

As such, the Liberty vs Mystics odds should heavily favor New York.

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

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