The Connecticut Sun and New York Liberty meet Friday in WNBA action at the Barclays Center. Here’s a Sun vs. Liberty Prediction. This article will include a Sun vs. Liberty Pick.
Connecticut Sun Betting Preview
The Sun enters season two under coach Rachid Meziane, and it’s their last season in Connecticut before leaving for Houston. The Sun has nowhere to go but up after just 11 wins last season.
The Sun seem to be in rebuild mode and have a lot of young players who will lead the way and look to push the pace. However, additions of Diamond Miller, Kennedy Burke, and Brittney Griner not only add experience and leadership, but they also give this team a chance to not be as bad as last season. That trio should be able to keep the Sun somewhat competitive. Still, the future of this Sun team is in the hands of Leila Lacan, Aaliyah Edwards, and Saniya Rivers, and their development will be key as the Sun soon become the Comets.
New York Liberty Betting Preview
The Liberty begin the Chris DeMarco era, and they hope to get back to final appearances after a disappointing first-round exit last season. The Liberty has either had a finals trip or bounced in the first round in each of the last five years. Nothing in-between.
I’ll just get it out of the way now and say the Liberty on paper is the best team in the league. A trio of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones was already as good as it gets in the league. The addition of Satou Sabally puts New York over the top, as I’ve consistently said she’s a top-10 player in the league. Last postseason, Sabally was playing as well as anybody in the league and if she hadn’t gotten hurt, Phoenix may have won the WNBA title. The talent is there; it’s just a matter of the coaching staff being ready to handle this Ferrari right out of the gate. Also, injuries are a concern. Sabally has had hip issues, Stewart isn’t a spring chicken anymore and Ionescu starts the season on the injury report. Stay healthy and I have the Liberty lifting the trophy in a few months.
Why the New York Liberty will win
- The Liberty has won 11 of their last 12 home games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Sun have lost each of their last five games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Sun has failed to cover the spread in each of their last four games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The favorites have covered the spread in six of the Sun’s last seven games.
Why the Connecticut Sun will win
- The Liberty has lost three of their last four season openers as favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Sun have won four of their last five road openers against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Liberty has failed to cover the spread in seven of their last eight games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Sun have covered the spread in each of their last seven Friday games.
Total Points: Facts
- Ten of the Liberty’s last 11 games have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Nine of the Sun’s last 10 season openers against Eastern Conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
New York Liberty Player Facts
- Breanna Stewart ranked 1st amongst qualified players for fast break points per game (3.8) last season.
- Jonquel Jones ranked 5th amongst qualified players for 3P% (42.4%) last season.
Connecticut Sun Player Facts
- Brittney Griner ranked 6th amongst qualified players for blocks per 36 minutes (2.1) last season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The New York Liberty ranked 1st for opponent three-point percentage last season (31.5%).
- The New York Liberty ranked 1st for free throw percentage last season (83.7%).
- The Connecticut Sun ranked 1st for opponent field goal attempts per game last season (65.4).
- The Connecticut Sun suffered the largest comeback loss after HT last season—led by -19 points vs. the Indiana Fever on August 17.
Sun vs Liberty Injury Report
The Sun will be without Leila Lacan due to an overseas commitment.
The Liberty will be without Sabrina Ionescu due to an ankle injury.
Sun vs Liberty Prediction
As high as I am on the Liberty and with the Sun in rebuild mode, I’m grabbing the points. This is a lot of points for a season opener with a new coaching staff and the injury to Ionescu doesn’t help. The Sun aren’t contenders, but they’re going to push the pace, score points, and be feisty on the defensive side.
Also, we’ve faded the Liberty a lot as big favorites. The Liberty has failed to cover each of their last 9 games as double-digit favorites. Three of those failed covers were outright losses. The underdog has also covered 5 of the last 6 games between the Sun and Liberty. Line is too thick. Give me the points.