New York Liberty vs. Chicago Sky Expert Pick – September 3, 2023

NEW YORK LIBERTY VS. CHICAGO SKY EXPERT PICK — SEPTEMBER 3, 2023 — Greetings basketball fans. Welcome back to our weekend WNBA coverage here at Godzilla. One of the games on today’s slate features the New York Liberty (29-7) taking on the Chicago Sky (15-21).

Here is a look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why.

The Odds

Tipoff

When: Sunday, September 3, 2023 at 3:00 PM ET

Where: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, IL

TV: ESPN2

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Click here for more from James Tillman III

NEW YORK LIBERTY VS CHICAGO SKY – SEASON TRENDS

The New York Liberty have the second-best record in the league. And they trail the Las Vegas Aces by two games with just four games left. In the team’s recent outing against the Connecticut Sun, the Liberty cruised to an easy 89-58 victory, extending their winning streak to five games. Betnijah Laney scored a team-high 19 points, along with three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.

From a metrics standpoint, New York has the second-best offense in the league. Not only that but New York also has the second-best defense in the league, allowing 80.0 points per contest and 100.1 points per 100 possessions.

Meanwhile, the Sky are just 4-6 over their last 10 games. However, they come into this matchup riding a two-game winning streak. In their most recent outing, the Sky edged the Los Angeles Sparks by a narrow 76-75 margin. Kahleah Copper led all scorers with 22 points. Copper also tallied seven rebounds and three assists. Chicago is tied with Los Angeles for No. 8 spot in the playoff race. That said, every game going forward is a must-win for the Sky.

Chicago is ranked seventh in scoring (80.8 PPG) and points allowed (83.4 PPG). The Sky also have the fourth-worst defensive rating in the association, allowing 105.9 points per 100 possessions.

The Picks

The Spread

The Liberty are an 8.5-point favorite in this contest. Here are a few trends that suggest that New York will cover the spread.

• New York is 4-0 ATS in the last four contests against teams with a losing record.
• The Liberty are 5-1 ATS in their last six outings in which they played on one day of rest.
• New York is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings against Eastern Conference teams.
• The Liberty are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games overall.

Prediction: New York Liberty (-8.5)

Over/Under

The projected scoring total is 164.5 points. Here is why going with the OVER could be the smart play

• The OVER is 4-1 in Chicago’s last five games against New York.
• The OVER is 9-3 for the Sky in their last 12 home games against the Liberty.
• In New York’s last 11 games against Eastern Conference teams, the OVER is 9-2.

Prediction: Over 163.5 points

Player Prop Bet

There is no PPB data available at the time of this writing. My key player to watch in this contest is Chicago Sky guard Kahleah Copper. She is averaging 18.3 points per contest this season.

If her projected scoring total is 18 points or less, go with the over. However, if the projected total is more than 18 points, go with the Under. The reason is Copper has exceeded the 18-point threshold just three times across her last 10 outings.