Lynx vs. Liberty Prediction: Game 2 Expert Picks & WNBA Finals Odds

After a thrilling series opener on Thursday, the New York Liberty (32-8) host the Minnesota Lynx (30-10) for Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday.

• The Liberty are favored by as many as 7.5 points across our best sportsbooks
• The Lynx rallied from an 18-point deficit to win Game 1 in New York
• Minnesota has now won four of five matchups this season

Here is a look at our Lynx vs. Liberty prediction, expert picks, and WNBA odds for Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, which tips off from Barclays Center on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (ABC).

Lynx vs. Liberty expert picks: Game 2

WNBA picks made Friday; odds subject to change. Confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.

• Liberty -2 1Q (-110 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Sabrina Ionescu Over 6.5 1Q points (-112 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
• Courtney Williams Over 18.5 pts + ast (-102 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

Lynx vs. Liberty prediction: Game 2

Liberty -2 1Q (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Two things can be true about a wild Game 1 that saw Minnesota erase an 11-point deficit in the final 3:23 in regulation before winning it in overtime.

On one hand, the Lynx absolutely deserved to win that game after the way they rallied late - shutting down Breanna Stewart and riding the hot hand of Courtney Williams (23 points), who hit a clutch 4-point play to help force overtime:

On the other hand, the Liberty were clearly the better team from the jump and effectively controlled the game until the final few minutes.

At one point, New York boasted a 98.6% chance to win, per ESPN, after a thoroughly dominant first quarter sparked what should have been a comfortable win.

Bet on hot start from Liberty in Game 2

In Thursday's loss, the Liberty outscored the Lynx by 13 points in the first quarter while more than doubling Minnesota's output on the glass (12 rebounds to five) and from 3-point range (five makes to two).

This is nothing new for New York, which outscored teams by 16.9 points per 100 possessions in the first quarter and won the opening period by 3.7 points on average. Only Minnesota (+2.6) featured a 1Q scoring margin above one point.

The Lynx led after one quarter in all three regular-season meetings, but the Liberty controlled the opening 10 minutes in these teams' two biggest matchups thus far - the Commissioner's Cup back in June and Game 1 of these WNBA Finals.

Our best sports betting apps are still buying New York's stock after that loss, pricing it as an even bigger favorite to win Game 2 than we saw ahead of Thursday's series opener.

I'm not sure I fully support the idea of fading the Cardiac Lynx late after their heroic effort to close Game 1, but I do expect the Liberty to come out with a vengeance to open Sunday's contest.

With the rest of the market offering a 1Q spread of -2.5 or shorter, I'll gladly back this outlier number of -2 at bet365, where a winning $10 bet would return $9.09 in profit.

Best odds: -110 via bet365 | Implied probability: 52.38%

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Lynx vs. Liberty player props: Game 2

Our NEW player prop odds tool can help you find the best odds on any WNBA prop market across legal sportsbooks in your area!

Sabrina Ionescu Over 6.5 1Q points (-112) ⭐⭐⭐

We fell victim to the hook in Game 1, when Ionescu fell just short of her combined points, rebounds, and assists total of 27.5. (She finished with 27.)

But she was aggressive nonetheless, leading both teams with a season-high 26 attempts from the floor. That included seven shots in the first quarter alone in an eight-point effort through 10 minutes.

That wasn't a fluke for Ionescu, who led her team with 12 points in the first quarter to close out the Las Vegas Aces in Game 4 of the semifinals. And I suspect she'll be assertive early in Game 2 to help the Liberty rally back from Thursday's loss.

If she clears this total for a third straight game, a $10 bet at FanDuel would return a profit of $8.93.

Best odds: -112 via FanDuel | Implied probability: 52.83%

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Courtney Williams Over 18.5 pts + ast (-102) ⭐⭐⭐

I was fully expecting to fade Williams after her heroic effort in Game 1, but apparently our best sports betting sites had the same idea.

That spells surprise value on the Over for the Lynx's red-hot point guard, who led all scorers with 23 points on Thursday after closing out the semifinals with a 24-point effort against the Connecticut Sun.

She also finished with five assists after dishing out seven dimes in her previous effort, and she's now topped this combined prop total in four of her last five games.

I'm tempted by her scoring total of 12.5, but this prop bet feels like an even better way to bet on Williams, especially if the Liberty defense tries to force the ball out of her hands after a sizzling Game 1 performance.

Best odds: -102 via FanDuel | Implied probability: 50.50%

Lynx vs. Liberty Game 2 odds

Lynx vs. Liberty Game 2 info

• When: Sunday, Oct. 13
• Tip-off: 3 p.m. ET
• Where: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
• How to watch: ABC
• Favorite: Liberty -7.5 (-110 via bet365)

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