WNBA Betting Picks and Player Props to Target for Saturday 6/8/24

Annie Nader•@ANader33

24d

The WNBA is back, 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.

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

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

WNBA Best Bets

New York Liberty at Connecticut Sun, 1:00 p.m. ET

Sun Moneyline (-112)

Saturday's two-game WNBA slate brings us one of the more highly anticipated matchups of the early season. The New York Liberty (9-2) will look to hand the undefeated Connecticut Sun (9-0) their first loss of the season.

Connecticut hasn't missed a beat this year. They lead the league in net rating with a particularly impressive defensive rating (88.1), and all five of Connecticut's starters rank in the top 12 of defensive win shares.

Alyssa Thomas (13.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists) and DeWanna Bonner (19.1 points) are among the best vets in the league and have been the compass of this disciplined group. Add in solid two-way players Brionna Jones, DiJonai Carrington, and Tyasha Harris, and the Sun come in with a super well-rounded lineup.

They'll face their biggest challenge yet when they host the Liberty, but I don't think Connecticut's win streak is quite ready to meet its demise.

New York comes in with the second-best net rating and feature stars such as Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu. They're shooting the third-most three-point attempts (3PA) per game and own a 51.1% effective field goal percentage (EFG%; second-best).

However, I imagine they'll have a tough time creating their usual offensive spark against a Sun team that surrenders the third-fewest 3PA per game and forces teams into a league-low EFG%.

Starting guard Courtney Vandersloot (personal) is a game-time decision for New York, and her absence could knock the team down a peg.

Despite an undefeated record, the Sun have yet to prove themselves against the two powerhouses in the league, the Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces. I'm expecting them to hold tight to their strong start in a nationally televised game at home.

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton Under 17.5 Pts + Ast (-110)

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is averaging 16.0 combined points and assists (PA) for New York and should stay at or below that number on Saturday.

The Sun are allowing just 69.3 points (fewest) and 17.2 assists (fewest) per game. They also rank dead-last in pace, and New York plays at the fourth-slowest pace, so we shouldn't expect a huge offensive game overall.

Laney-Hamilton is, at best, fourth in line for New York on the scoring end. She has recorded under 17.5 PA in 7 out of 11 games this season. More importantly, she has gone under 17.5 PA in all seven games against teams that rank in either the top four of defensive rating or the top five of the WNBA's standings.

She started all 40 games for New York last season and flew under 17.5 PA in 67.5% of those contests. In my mind, backing this under is a pretty easy decision.

Atlanta Dream at Chicago Sky, 5:00 p.m. ET

Angel Reese Over 20.5 Pts + Reb (-102)

Angel Reese has not had a quiet start to her rookie season.

She's averaging 20.6 combined points and rebounds (PR) and a league-leading 5.1 offensive rebounds per game in part due to her inability to finish at the rim.

She's recorded at least 18 PR in all but one game, a minimum of 20 PR in all but two games, and has exceeded 20.5 PR in five out of nine games.

We've been seeing a solid streak with Reese, who is averaging 23.7 PR across her last three games. Look for those numbers to carry into Saturday when the Chicago Sky (4-5) take on the Atlanta Dream (4-4).

Atlanta is ceding the second-most rebounds per 36 minutes. Elizabeth Williams (10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds) is questionable for Chicago, and if she's out, Angel will have dominion over the lion's share of rebound chances.

Reese is also netting 6.1 free-throw attempts (fourth-most in the WNBA) per game and has scored 17 points from the charity stripe alone across her last three games. It seems she is well-suited to clear 20.5 PR against Atlanta.

Rhyne Howard To Score 15+ Points (-128)

I was pretty surprised to find Rhyne Howard's points prop set this low.

Howard is averaging 15.8 points for Atlanta and has scored at least 15 points in five out of eight games.

In the three misses, she went a combined 9-for-31 from the floor (29.0% FG%), but we can rest assured knowing she owns a 40.0% FG% on the season.

Last year, Howard averaged 17.5 points and notched at least 15 points in 29 out of 39 games (74.4% of contests), so we should start to see some positive scoring regression from the third-year player.

Chicago gives up 44.9 points to guards per game (fifth-most) and plays at the third-fastest pace in the league, so the game environment is set to favor Howard.

We've seen her shoot threes at a 26.0% clip this year despite sporting a 35.2% 3P% last season, so I wouldn't rule out positive regression from downtown, either.

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

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.