Saturday afternoon's WNBA All-Star Game will have that good ol' UConn feel to it at the Mohegan Sun, but the winning feel will be for bettors that back the East over the West.
All-Star games in any sport can be tough to figure out when it comes to betting, but there are edges to be had if you think the game through enough. Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game in Uncasville, CT at the Mohegan Sun Arena is no different as the league’s best oppose each other. While some may think risking their bankroll on this game is not much different than doubling down some casino chips at the Mohegan Sun’s blackjack tables, it can be one of the few games happening each year where the gambler can have an edge over the bookmakers.
Register to win prizes playing in the WNBA Handicapping Challenge.The rosters for both squads are certainly loaded and it can become a question of which conference’s crew is more motivated. Two of the Western Conference starters, Sue Bird and Swin Cash, are former University of Connecticut Huskies and would certainly like to satisfy UConn fans coming out to see the game with a great day on the court. A couple of the West’s reserve are UConn alums as well with Charde Houston and, most notably, Diana Taurasi taking part in today’s game.
I have had conflicting thoughts about Taurasi’s presence in this game. As most WNBA fans know, Taurasi was suspended for the Phoenix Mercury’s last two games due to a drunk driving incident. So normally you would think there might be a lot of motivation for Taurasi to take the court again – especially in Connecticut at such a high profile game like this one. But I do think that it would not be in the West’s best interest to have this happen or even the league’s interest in general. I think the West will want to put on a show here and probably even put all four UConn Huskie alums on the court at the same time, but would not expect it to last long. The Phoenix Mercury even have a game that counts coming up in New York on Sunday and that is likely where Taurasi’s focus will be, as well as Mercury teammate Cappie Pondexter who is also on the West’s reserves.
How serious an All-Star roster takes a game often comes down to the coach of each team. Dan Hughes of the San Antonio Silver Stars will be coaching the West and would probably like nothing more for starting guard Becky Hammon to pick up some MVP honors today. But with all the UConn alums on the West fighting for some attention, it could be difficult for that to happen.
On the other bench, coaching the East will be Lin Dunn from the Indiana Fever who earned the honor with the team’s stellar record this season of 12-4. As a scheduling coincidence, both head coaches just battled each other in San Antonio on Thursday afternoon as the Fever visited the Silver Stars and got blown out 84 to 65. In some ways, I think Dunn’s Fever could have been looking past this game and had their sights set ahead to Connecticut for the All-Star Game – so look for Dunn to get some redemption and immediate revenge following this loss. The Fever have two starters for the East with Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas in the lineup. Between their teamwork and Dunn’s coaching, it might be enough in itself for the East to get a victory here. Douglas also use to play in Connecticut for the Sun and will certainly have a few cheers as a former All-Star Game MVP herself.
The East also have the Chicago Sky’s Candice Dupree and Sylvia Fowles as part of their starting five. Fowles has led the WNBA in rebounds this season with 8.5 per gameand this could come in handy with this type of game as a lot of loose balls should be out there. While the Sky have played a bit of a grueling schedule lately, Dupree and Fowles should be ready to let it all hang out in a game that doesn’t count after two frustrating losses in a row against the New York Liberty and Washington Mystics. Speaking of the Mystics, Washington’s Alana Beard rounds out the starting lineup for the East and she is sure to show everything she has as any Duke alum would in a game against some UConn ladies.
The reserves of the East may not be the household names that the West has with some of its roster, but are a bunch of competitors who should quietly get things done. Right behind Fowles in rebounds this season, the East have the league’s second leading rebounder Erika DeSouza on the bench for this game and this gives the team an edge over their opponents today in the middle as the West lacks depth in that regard. Jia Perkins from the Chicago Sky will also be on the bench today and she has been one of the league’s top performers for steals this season. Between Perkins, Catchings, and Beard all on the same squad, I look for the East to take advantage of West turnovers thoughout the game which are bound to happen a lot in an All-Star Game with spontaneous play instead of typical teamwork occurring.
The line for this game is currently favoring the Western Conference by one point, but I feel they are only favored due to having more marquee names on their roster. And in some ways, favoring them only by a point is begging some gamblers to think it is too easy to take them, but they will not be up for this game today as much as the East. While the West use to dominate All-Star Games every year, the Eastern stars have won the last two and will look to keep their streak going in Connecticut today. I feel players from the West will be too busy signing the autographs, taking the pictures and being a part of a show instead of having any real focus on the game itself.
With this being an afternoon game, I also feel the West’s players will be even more thrown out of sync than usual – especially with the partying they will be able to do at the Mohegan Sun. Taurasi knows where to find the booze, especially when it’s free at the Mohegan Sun, and might help get the rest of the West hung over by game time if they can even find the court. Take the Eastern Conference plus the point!
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East to continue winning fever in the WNBA All-Star Game on ABC
The rosters for both squads are certainly loaded and it can become a question of which conference’s crew is more motivated. Two of the Western Conference starters, Sue Bird and Swin Cash, are former University of Connecticut Huskies and would certainly like to satisfy UConn fans coming out to see the game with a great day on the court. A couple of the West’s reserve are UConn alums as well with Charde Houston and, most notably, Diana Taurasi taking part in today’s game.
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