The pick — Washington Mystics +5 at Indiana Fever (-115, BetRivers)
Letdown spots aren’t just for football anymore. That’s right. We’re targeting the Mystics in a classic Fever letdown scenario on Wednesday.
Caitlin Clark and her crew are still buzzing from one of the season's standout victories against the Chicago Sky. Last Sunday’s game smashed WNBA viewership records, as 2.25 million tuned in to witness the controversy over Angel Reese’s foul on Clark and watch Indiana’s star rookie come a couple rebounds and assists away from a triple-double.
Replicating that adrenaline rush? Good luck.
The Twitter-fueled Clark-Reese rivalry intensified during the 91-83 victory by the Fever, who closed as nearly three-point underdogs. Indiana also shot 56.5% from the field and a Golden State Warriors-esque 44.4% from three-point range.
In simpler terms, everything about the Fever’s last performance screams an impending letdown against the Mystics. But let’s not overlook the stew that’s cooking in the nation’s capital.
Washington has quietly tiptoed back to respectability, winning its last two games and holding a top-five defensive rating (100.0 points per 100 possessions) over its last five contests.
Despite injuries to key players, the Mystics seem to have found their stride. After losing to Chicago on June 6, they got their revenge eight days later with an 83-81 home win. And now they face a Fever squad who beat them 85-83 in D.C. on June 7. Will Washington’s revenge tour continue?
Clearly, the Mystics are a different team. Over their five past games, they hold the fifth-best net rating (+1.7) and the fifth-best scoring average (82.4 points per game) in the WNBA.
And in a revenge spot for a rising team, I’ll gladly take the five points.
BONUS BET — Caitlin Clark UNDER 6.5 assists (-125, DraftKings)
WNBA season record: 3-5, -2.35 units