WNBA Best Bets and Player Props for Friday 8/16/24, Including a FanDuel Promo

The WNBA season is rolling along, and fans and bettors alike can get into the action on FanDuel Sportsbook.

The W's 40-game season offers a wide variety of betting options, including point spreads, moneylines, and totals. While there's a lot to sift through, advanced stats from the WNBA can help us find an edge in the betting market.

On top of that, FanDuel Sportsbook is offering a promo for all customers betting a Same Game Parlay (SGP) on WNBA games from August 15-18th!

How to Claim This Promo

You can claim this promo by signing into your FanDuel Sportsbook account and clicking the “Claim Now” button. You’ll then be rewarded a 30% Profit Boost Token to use on any SGP placed on a WNBA game happening August 15-18th. See full terms at FanDuel Sportsbook.

WNBA Best Bets

Let's dive into the WNBA odds on FanDuel Sportsbook and find Friday's best bets.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Indiana Fever at Phoenix Mercury

Fever -2.5 (-114)

The Indiana Fever look to complete a season sweep of the Phoenix Mercury tonight. Given their success against the Mercury this season, and the fact that Phoenix is playing in the second leg of a back-to-back, I'll jump at the opportunity to play Fever -2.5.

In their first two matchups, the Fever won by six and nine points. Both came with Phoenix's top two players -- Kahleah Copper and Brittney Griner -- active, though neither could help slow down Indiana's offense.

The Fever put up 88 and 95 points against Phoenix despite a pair of subpar three-point shooting nights. Indiana is seventh in three-point efficiency (33%) on the year but shot 8-of-28 (28.6%) and 6-of-31 (19.4%) in their two dates with the Mercury.

Still, the Mercury couldn't stop Caitlin Clark from carving them up to the tune of 17.5 points and 12.5 assists per game, nor could they stop Aliyah Boston from putting up 19 points and 10.5 rebounds.

Defending the perimeter has been an ongoing issue for this Phoenix team. They've surrendered 62.7 points per game to opposing guards this season -- over 10 points more than the next-closest defense.

Defense hasn't been Indiana's calling card either, but they were up to eighth in defensive rating over their final 11 games before the break.

It doesn't help Phoenix's cause that they're playing their second game in as many nights. Road teams playing in the second leg of a back-to-back are just 3-7 straight up, according to numberFire's database. They've been outscored by an average of 6.2 points per game.

As a result, we can look for the Fever to cover as 2.5-point home favorites tonight.

Connecticut Sun at Dallas Wings

Satou Sabally Over 14.5 Points (-114)

Wings forward Satou Sabally is probable tonight, but all signs point to her making her season debut against the Sun.

Sabally missed the first three months of the season recovering from shoulder surgery but returned during the All-Star break for some international games with Germany. Across four games with her national team, Sabally averaged 18.8 points over 31.4 minutes per game.

Both marks were encouraging for her prospects of going over 14.5 points in her WNBA season debut tonight.

There hasn't been much reporting on whether Sabally will immediately take on a full workload, but she played at least 29 minutes in all four international competitions with Germany over the break. That has me bullish she'll at least flirt with the 33.1 minutes per game she averaged with Dallas last season.

Across 38 games in 2023, Sabally netted at least 15 points a staggering 29 times. She averaged 18.6 points on 43.5% shooting for the season.

Tonight's matchup with Connecticut is tough as the Sun were second in the league in defensive rating during the first half. But they showed cracks over the final month before the break, letting up the fourth-highest field goal percentage in their last 11 games.

Their league-worst pace has made them an unappealing target for opposing points props, but the Wings third-ranked pace should help normalize the game environment.

But regardless of the game environment, last year's track record is hard to ignore even in a tough matchup. Given how much she played with the German national team over the break, I'm optimistic Sabally sees close to a full workload tonight. That should put her in a nice spot to go over 14.5 points.

Considering how sharp she looked in international competition, I'd considering a smaller wager on Satou Sabally to Score 20+ Points (+310), too. She did that in 17 of 38 games last season, including in two of four matchups with the Sun.

Place Your Bet Today!

Looking for more WNBA betting opportunities? Check out the WNBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).

21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in AZ, CO, CT, D.C., IA, IL, IN, KS (in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino), KY, LA (permitted parishes only), MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, or WY. Opt in req. Bonus issued as non-withdrawable profit boost tokens. Restrictions apply, including any token expiration. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT) or visit FanDuel.com/RG