Liberty vs. Wings WNBA Picks: Dallas Looks to Clinch Playoff Berth

Henry John

Last Updated: August 31, 2022 4:12 PM EDT • 3 min 1 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 02: Marina Mabrey #3 of the Dallas Wings drives to the basket against Courtney Vandersloot #22 of the Chicago Sky during the first half at Wintrust Arena on August 02, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. Michael Reaves/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Michael Reaves / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Despite the expected continued absence of Arike Ogunbowale, red-hot Dallas will seek to clinch a playoff spot at home on Monday night against the New York Liberty. Read on for our Liberty-Wings picks.

Only one WNBA game is scheduled for Monday night. However, it is an important one with regard to the playoff push. The New York Liberty and Dallas Wings are both still vying for one of the three remaining playoff spots.

The Liberty (16-15-1 against the spread, 15-17 Over/Under) enter Monday night's showdown having won four of their last six games overall. However, New York suffered a setback in its late-season playoff push on Saturday. The Liberty struggled mightily offensively in a road loss to Phoenix.

As for the Wings (19-12-1 ATS, 18-14 O/U), they are coming off a perfect week that saw them level their win-loss record at .500. Having won four straight and five of six overall, Dallas is sitting pretty with regard to securing a playoff berth. With a win Monday, the Wings will clinch a spot.

Here are my WNBA picks and predictions for Monday night's game between the Liberty and Wings (odds via Caesars Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Liberty vs. Wings Game Info

Date/Time: Monday, Aug. 8, 8 p.m. ETTV: NBA TVLocation: College Park Center, Arlington, TX

Liberty vs. Wings Odds Analysis

Oddsmakers opened Dallas as a four-point home favorite for Monday's contest. So far, the WNBA betting market has not moved the consensus point spread in one direction or the other.

Despite the lack of movement, it is interesting to note the discrepancy between bets placed and total handle at DraftKings. While 65% of all ATS tickets are on the favored Wings, the Liberty have attracted 70% of all ATS handle.

The total has been on the rise after opening up at 160.5. Bettors will currently find the O/U set at 161 or higher, depending on the sportsbook.

Liberty vs. Wings Picks

Liberty vs. Wings Predictions

Wings -4 (-110)

What was truly remarkable about the Wings winning all three of their games this past week is that they did so without the services of their leading scorer. Arike Ogunbowale has averaged 19.7 points per game on the season, over six more than any other Dallas player.

Despite Ogunbowale being absent from the lineup with an injury, the Wings were still able to stretch their winning streak to four. Oh, and two of last week's wins came over Chicago and Las Vegas, the top two teams in the league standings.

While Dallas will once again have to try and find a way without Ogunbowale, the Liberty will also be shorthanded. Natasha Howard injured her ankle in New York's loss at Phoenix on Saturday and is listed as doubtful for Monday’s contest.

Just how important is Howard to the Liberty? She leads the team in rebounding, steals, and blocks. In addition to her presence defensively, she is New York’s second-leading scorer with 15.3 points per game.

Howard’s likely absence leaves Sabrina Ionescu as the only active Liberty player who has averaged more than 9.6 points per game this season. It could be another ugly offensive showing from New York this evening.

https://twitter.com/NBA_Africa/status/1554765192512274432?s=20&t=s73fPZoW8Eyf-GHplFE3Dg

Under 161.5 (-110)

Despite the fact that the total has inched upward from the opening number, there is too much evidence supporting a low-scoring game to get behind this line move. Bettors should make sure to shop the WNBA betting odds in order to find the absolute best line available.

The absence of Ogunbowale and Howard can only be viewed as a hindrance to the total points that will be scored. However, injuries are not the only factors playing into an Under wager.

Statistically, the Liberty and Wings both rank among the bottom four teams in average pace of play this season. Slow pace and poor shooting have been prevalent themes in this head-to-head series recently as well.

Each of the last two meetings between New York and Dallas fell short of the closing total. The teams combined for only 153 and 152 points in those two contests, respectively.

Liberty Team Total: Under 79.5 (-120)

The Liberty team total of 79.5 found at Caesars is a full point higher compared to other sportsbooks in the market. New York flew Over this team total line in four consecutive games up through last Tuesday. However, the Liberty scored only 64 and 62 points in their last two contests.

Last week, the Wings held the top-two scoring offenses in the WNBA (Las Vegas and Chicago) to 80 and 78 points, respectively. Are bettors really supposed to expect a Liberty team minus Howard to surpass those scoring outputs, let alone match them? That seems highly unlikely to occur.

Where to Bet on Liberty-Wings Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel Sportsbook Caesars Sportsbook DraftKings Sportsbook PointsBet BetMGM

SEE ALSO: All picks, odds, and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting too ls.

Liberty-Wings picks made on 8/8/2022 at 1:18 p.m. ET.

Written By:
Henry John

Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball, and NASCAR. He counts NFL, WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.