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Liberty vs. Mystics Prediction, Odds and Key Players for WNBA Season Opener

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the New York Liberty-Washington Mystics matchup in the WNBA regular season opener.

By Peter Dewey

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart.
New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart. / John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
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The New York Liberty made the WNBA Finals last season, coming up short against the Las Vegas Aces, but they’re expected to make another run at a title with Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Courtney Vandersloot, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and Sabrina Ionescu all back for the 2024 season. 

New York is heavily favored on the road against the Washington Mystics in its season opener, but Washington is going to look much different than it has in years past. 

Elena Delle Donne is not with the Mystics, despite the team offering her a one-year max deal, so this could end up turning into a bit of a rebuilding season for Washington. 

Shakira Austin and first-round pick Aaliyah Edwards will be called upon to pick up some of the slack down low, but can they do enough to cover the spread in this season-opening matchup at least?

Here’s a look at the latest odds, my best bet and more for Tuesday’s contest: 

Liberty vs. Mystics Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

  • Liberty -11 (-110)
  • Mystics +11 (-110)

Moneyline

  • Liberty: -750
  • Mystics: +525

Total

  • 164 (Over -110/Under -110)

Liberty vs. Mystics How to Watch

  • Date: Tuesday, May 14
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Entertainment & Sports Arena
  • How to watch (TV): ESPN3
  • Liberty record: 0-0
  • Mystics record: 0-0

Liberty vs. Mystics Injury Reports

Liberty Injury Report

  • None to report

Mystics Injury Report

  • Shakira Austin – day-to-day

Liberty vs. Mystics Key Players to Watch

New York Liberty

Breanna Stewart: Last season’s MVP, Stewart is one of the most complete scorers in the game, averaging 23.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game last season while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from 3. She’ll remain the No. 1 option for New York in the 2024 season. 

Washington Mystics

Aaliyah Edwards: Edwards could be looking at an expanded role in her regular season debut, as Shakira Austin is expected to be on a minutes restriction.

Edwards had seven points in two preseason games, playing around 15 minutes per night off the bench. 

Liberty vs. Mystics Prediction and Pick

I don’t love laying the points with New York since it struggled against the spread as a favorite last season, but now that it is running back the same core, I expect the Liberty to get off to a solid start this season. 

Washington is going to have to find scoring from somewhere else this season, as Delle Donne and Natasha Cloud are no longer with the team (they were No. 1 and No. 3 in points per game in 2023). 

Brittney Sykes (15.9 points per game last season) should lead the offense from the guard spot, and the Mystics are certainly hoping Austin can stay relatively healthy in the 2024 season after she was limited to just 19 games in 2023. 

At the end of the day, New York has a ton of offensive talent that should make it tough for Washington to keep up. 

Last season, the Liberty ranked No. 2 in offensive rating, No. 2 in effective field goal percentage, and No. 5 in pace. With Ionescu, Jones, and Stewart getting another offseason to gel and learn to play together, I expect New York to come out firing on all cylinders in the season opener.  

Pick: Liberty -11 (-110)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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