2024-09-25 16:00:03
Game 1 of the WNBA playoffs between the Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty went how many expected — a dominant victory by the Liberty.
After dropping their final two games of the regular season, including one to Atlanta, the Liberty hit the reset button, beating the Dream by double digits, despite rolling out a new-look starting lineup.
Will the Dream avoid elimination and even up the series in Game 2 on Tuesday night or will the Liberty be simply too much to handle again?
Here is our Dream vs. Liberty prediction for Game 2, including a best bet.
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dream | +12.5 (-112) | +625 | o155.5 (-112) |
| Liberty | -12.5 (-108) | -950 | u155.5 (-108) |
In Game 1, New York deployed Leonie Fiebich, a 6-foot-4 forward, in the starting lineup in place of veteran Courtney Vandersloot, who still logged 16 minutes.
Fiebich did not disappoint, scoring a game-high 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor and 4-of-4 from behind the arc. It was an impressive showcase as she put together the best game of her rookie campaign.
Fiebich is already one of the league’s best shooters from deep (43.3%) but also boasts switchability on defense due to her athleticism, size, length and quickness.
Expect the Liberty to stay with the same lineup in Game 2. They should continue emphasizing floor-spreading and getting clean looks from deep offensively, as well as putting out a versatile defensive unit.
Atlanta won’t go gently into that good night Tuesday. Whether the Dream can steal a win and force a Game 3 is to be determined. However, a blowout seems unlikely.
After the Liberty’s first-quarter surge in Game 1, which featured them hitting every shot for the first seven and a half minutes of the matchup, the Dream played New York nearly even in the final three quarters (54-53, Liberty).
Atlanta is not a poor defensive team, especially with Jordin Canada healthy and in the lineup.
The Dream ranked sixth in defensive rating, fourth in opponent field goal percentage and third in defensive rebounding percentage during the regular season.
Ultimately, the Liberty’s talent is undeniable and they should cruise through this round, but laying 12.5 points in a do-or-die Game 2 against a pesky, physical Dream team is too rich for my blood.
Pick: Dream +12.5 (-112, DraftKings)
Andrew Norton handicaps the NBA, WNBA, NFL, college basketball and football, UFC and golf. During the 2022-23 NBA season, he achieved a standout 14.1% ROI, cashing 60% of his NBA spread picks and leading Tallysight in its SportsIQ metric.
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