Atlanta Dream vs. New York Liberty 8/12/22 WNBA Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty face off on Friday in a WNBA showdown at The Gateway Center at College Park. On June 30th when these two teams played it took overtime, but the Dream were able to win 92-81. 

The Dream come into this game with a 14-20 record overall, but they really struggled in the last game against the Las Vegas Aces. The defense really struggled, giving up 97 points and that led to the seven-point defeat. The Dream are averaging 78.6 points, while their defense is giving up 81.4 points per game. The offense is ranked 11th in the league, while their defense is ranked 4th in the league. Tiffany Hayes, the top scorer for the team is still dealing with an injury. Rhyne Howard has also been good, averaging 16.1 points while shooting 36.7 percent from the field.

On the other side of this matchup is the Liberty, who sit with a 14-20 record overall, but they have lost two of their last three games. In the last game against the Dallas Wings, the Liberty’s offense was strong, scoring 91 points and that led to the easy victory. Two games ago against the Wings, the defense scored 86 points and that led to the defeat. The Liberty are averaging 79.4 points, while their defense is giving up 82.3 points per game. The offense is ranked 10th in the league, while their defense is ranked 6th. Sabrina Ionescu is averaging 17.8 points while shooting 41.6 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from behind the three point line.

The Dream like to play at a slower pace, and I expect they are going to do everything in their power to slow down the pace here. The defense is ranked 4th in the league, and they are going to slow down the Liberty’s offense here. It might not be enough to win the game or cover the spread, but it’s going to keep this game under the total. Back the under to cash.