Chicago Sky vs. Minnesota Lynx

Handicapping the first game after an All-Star break is tricky, especially when players are not given that much time off. 

The WNBA’s weekend festivities involved labor talks and an active party scene, so one can certainly wonder about the level of focus with the first game. However, apathy can affect offense as much as it can defense, so I will approach this like I would a conventional matchup. 

The Minnesota Lynx host the Chicago Sky as 13-point favorites with a total of 162.5 points on Wednesday. 

These two teams have faced each other three times this month already.

Chicago won one of them outright as a double-digit underdog, while Minnesota covered in only one of its two wins. 

Guard Ariel Atkins is Chicago’s best scorer, but her status is unknown after missing their most recent game with a leg injury.

That could significantly hurt the Sky, but I still think we will see a good pace.

The Sky have adjusted their style over the past month and are now pushing the ball. 

Part of that new approach is utilizing Rachel Banham’s 3-point shooting. The sharpshooter is 12-for-25 from behind the arc in the past three meetings with the Lynx. She has attempted at least seven in each. 

Banham was not an All-Star and should be refreshed for this first game.

Plus, given Minnesota was preoccupied with the midseason game with three players and its head coach, I doubt the team will be super focused on this first game.

They know they are considerably better than their opponent. 

I have a 56-46-1 ATS record in this Post sports section, and my next play is Banham to make at least three 3-pointers at +102 odds at FanDuel.

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor who has over two decades of experience in the betting space, including spending 11 years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He’s also the rare personality who has documented success – 14th place in 2023 Circa Million and Las Vegas SuperContest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K) and also grabbed headlines with a $297K win on the 2021 NFL Draft.