The WNBA is here to stay. What began in 1997 as eight franchises, a mix of hope and skepticism, has evolved into a stable, well-run league expanding to over a dozen teams. The best college basketball players feed the pipeline of new talent to the NBA and the WNBA, increasing fan interest and popularity. Oddsmakers are forced to post WNBA numbers from May to September, and the sportsbooks pay less attention, with most bettors focused on baseball and the NBA Playoffs. Less action can lead to softer numbers, and for any serious bettor, that makes for a worthwhile investment opportunity.
WNBA Betting Options
Point spreads are the most popular form of betting in the Dub. Spreads are pre-game, such as Minnesota +5 (-110) vs. Connecticut -5 (-110). In this example, Connecticut is a 5-point favorite. If you think the Sun will win by more than 5 points, you'd back the favorite, but if you like the Lynx's chances of staying close or pulling an outright upset, you would take the underdog plus the points. The (-110) signifies the amount needed to wager to win $100. So, you could put $110 on Connecticut at -5 to win $100, $55 on them to win $50, or any risk amount to win back the quotient of your wager divided by 1.1.
Another popular wagering option is "totals" or Over/Under betting. Say the total for Minnesota vs. Connecticut is 162. One can wager on whether the total will be OVER or UNDER this number. If the Sun wins 84-80 (164 total points), OVER bettors win. However, if the Sun were to win a defensive battle, 74-73 (147 total points), UNDER bettors would get the prize.
A third option is WNBA moneyline betting when you bet on the WNBA, which involves simply predicting the winner of the game without considering point spreads. This is a popular choice amongst baseball and hockey bettors, but it also has its place in basketball. For someone who thinks Connecticut can win the contest, but doesn't want to lay the -5 points, books will post a moneyline of -170. In this case, you now need to risk $170 to win $100, whereas a $100 wager will only pay back $59. Less risk equals less reward.
Little Action
One of the advantages for handicappers and bettors is that there is far less action wagered on the WNBA than in other sports. Oddsmakers are very good at what they do, but they're not perfect. When oddsmakers get too much money on one side of an NBA or NFL football game, they react quickly and move the number. Their goal is not to predict the point spread winner, but to achieve equal action on both sides to minimize liability. With the WNBA, they know they won't get a lot of money wagered, so there's less focus on it in their daily betting handle. That's a boon for serious handicappers to lock in weaker numbers, increasing winning opportunities with their WNBA picks.
Blowout City!
One of the things that stands out in betting the WNBA is the number of one-sided routs. That's because it's a top-heavy league. There are only a handful of genuine superstars, and they can dominate a game much more so than an NBA superstar does. The largest margin of victory in a WNBA regular-season game is 59 points, when Minnesota ripped Indiana, 111-52. The most one-sided playoff game was when Chicago, a 9-point favorite, blew out New York 100-62, a 38-point victory. Additionally, WNBA coaches use the bench less frequently than their NBA counterparts, as there are fewer minutes played overall. Coaches can play their best players for more extended periods, which can help turn a 10-point lead into a 20-point lead quickly.
WNBA Betting Totals: Points Parade or Defensive Drought
With 40-minute games, WNBA totals are lower than those in the NBA (48 minutes), but they are similar to handicap. Some WNBA teams are far better defensively than others. That begins with the head coach, who teaches a philosophy in practice and emphasizes defense. During the game, the coach will demand physical inside play, hustling to defend the three-point line, or switch to a full-court press to try and harass the opposing guards into turnovers. That will be reflected in team statistics, including the turnover ratio and field goal shooting percentage allowed. Teams like that can be worth a look at UNDER the total for handicappers making their own daily totals. Other WNBA teams have terrific point guards who can push the tempo and run up big offensive numbers. These are evident in team stats such as points scored, effective field goal shooting percentage, and free throws per game. When two teams that prefer to push the tempo all night are involved, it's worth considering the OVER. One Las Vegas WNBA handicapping angle is when a top-of-the-line team faces a poor defensive team. The first instinct is to take a look at the OVER, but this is just one step toward determining your picks.
WNBA Betting Trends
Betting trends are tricky when you bet on WNBA games. They're fun to look at and can provide ideas on wagering relationships. However, trends shouldn't be relied upon as a standalone handicapping factor. Trends function best when they provide reasoning that makes sense. For instance, the best defensive team in the WNBA is on a 10-4 run UNDER the total. The great defensive team is being undervalued on totals by oddsmakers. In the winner-take-all Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals, New York was a 5.5-point home favorite over Minnesota. New York was on a 3-8 ATS run at home, while WNBA road teams were on a 48-24 ATS run, including a 23-13 ATS record as road dogs.
Additionally, Minnesota was 6-2 ATS against New York. The trends suggested a close matchup with a live underdog. New York won the game in overtime, 67-62, failing to cover by a half-point. Trends don't predict what will happen in a game, but they can point the way toward some sound handicapping insight. I like to think of them as a stepping stone, or one piece of the puzzle.
WNBA Prop Stars: Betting Beyond the Box Score
Proposition wagering is numbers posted on what individual players will do. A star player might have OVER/UNDER 24.5 points, or OVER/UNDER 8.5 Rebounds, or YES/NO: Will Player A have a double-double? Since the WNBA is a dominant-player league, a star can have a monster game when matched up against an opponent that lacks a stopper or good team defense. The biggest turnaround in WNBA history occurred in 2024, when Seattle went from an 11-21 record to 25-15. Newcomers Nneka Ogwumike, a former No. 1 overall pick, and Skylar Diggins-Smith helped turn the Storm from a bad team to a pseudo-powerhouse overnight. The New York Liberty were 16-20 before signing Breanna Stewart, another No. 1 overall pick, then had back-to-back 32-8 campaigns while winning a championship. Don't waste money betting on props such as "Who Will Score First?" or "Who Calls the First Time Out?" Those are 50-50 throwaways. Investing time and effort into handicapping matchups will help identify excellent money-making WNBA prop wagers.
Bankroll Management
Loading up on one big play because it "can't lose" is a tactic employed by inexperienced bettors and scammer handicappers, also known as scamdicappers. Don't swallow the hype. Bettors who increase their profit margin over the long haul practice sound, disciplined money management principles. If you're serious about winning money on sports betting, think of it as an investment. It's smarter to wager 1-2% of your total bankroll on each pick, for instance, than to place 25% of your bankroll on the strongest selection. That kind of discipline fosters good habits, such as remaining even-keeled in the face of wins and losses, and thinking carefully during your daily handicapping.
Final Buzzer: Smart Bets, Sharp Angles
From picking sides and totals to exploring the world of player props, WNBA betting offers multiple layers that can enhance the game and improve your bankroll. The more betting options oddsmakers post, the greater the chances of finding mistakes. Betting trends can be helpful, but they should have a logical explanation behind them. Understand the nuances of the WNBA season, including how its rules differ from those of the NBA, how coaches utilize players differently, and how it's a star-centric league. Develop a bankroll management strategy to keep your game sustainable, and don't sleep on coaching trends, which can quietly tip the scales in your favor. There is less betting action on the WNBA, but by breaking down the data, I have found an edge that has been quite profitable over the years.
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