Minnesota Lynx vs Tulsa Shock Point Spread Picks

This is the third straight home game for Tulsa, a team hungry for a win and riding a tough skid. This team is third in the WNBA in scoring and second in rebounding. Tulsa is 6-3 at home and off a tough loss last night, blowing a 12-point lead in the third quarter. Odyssey Sims scored 16 points and Plenette Pierson added 14 for the Shock. Tulsa also plays its best defense at home on a 4-0 run UNDER the total at home, plus 13-3 UNDER against the Western Conference. Both teams had to play last night and this is the start of a three-game trip for Minnesota. They have not been on the road since July 19 following a three-game homestand. The Lynx are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games vs. a team with a winning record. Minnesota can play great defense, too, tops in the WNBA in points allowed. Minnesota is 7-2 UNDER the total when playing on no days rest, and when these teams clash the UNDER is 4-1 in the last five meetings. Look for a defensive game and a big effort by the home team that is capable of winning straight-up. Take Tulsa on the moneyline and play the UNDER.

WNBA Game of the Month: Tulsa. New-look Tulsa is 6-0 at home and will be fired up with Western Conference power Minnesota in town. It's a big one, as well, with Minnesota in first place and Tulsa two games behind. This is a tough situational spot for the Minnesota offense, its seventh road game over the last 11 contests. The Lynx is 3-7-1 ATS on the road and 0-4 ATS against a team with a winning record. The Minnesota Lynx are hurting, too, without Seimone Augustus and Monica Wright, both underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last week. Minnesota will have to lean on its defense this game, tops in the WNBA in points allowed (they are 6-2 UNDER the total against the Western Conference). Tulsa is second in the WNBA in points and rebounds, and the defense is sold, too, sixth in points allowed. Tulsa is on an 11-4 ATS run, 7-3 ATS against the Western Conference and 5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. Tulsa is home from a disappointing two game trip, both losses, and is hungry for a victory. With so much at stake, the home team will bring its best defense, and Tulsa is 4-1 UNDER the total at home, plus 10-3 UNDER against the Western Conference. Play Tulsa ATS (WNBA Game of the Month), Tulsa on the moneyline, and UNDER the total.

A pair of red-hot WNBA teams meet in a big Western Conference showdown. New-look Tulsa has been impressive, second in the WNBA in points scored and assists, tops in rebounds, and fourth in points allowed. The Shock have been buoyed by their 3-point shooting, connecting on 42.9 percent during their five-game winning streak (plus a 6-0 ATS run). Tulsa is on a 5-2 run UNDER the total, plus 7-0 UNDER against the Western Conference. Minnesota is favored, but in a difficult scheduling spot, home from a three-game road trip. They lost at Phoenix on the trip getting outrebounded, and the Lynx are 3-8 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. Minnesota willl bring its best defense for this showdown, tops in the league in points allowed while riding a 5-1 run UNDER the total. Play Tulsa and the game UNDER the total.

Minnesota has little to prove here, the favorite to win the West, and they have a game on tap tomorrow. Tulsa has plenty to prove and is bolstered by the additions of Karima Christmas and Plenette Pierson along with #2 overall draft pick Amanda Zahui B. Turning pro after her sophomore year at Minnesota, Zahui B. was an All-American, averaging 18.7 points and 12.7 rebounds. They went 2-0 in preseason. Look for a big effort by the new and improved Tulsa Shock. Take the points on Tulsa.

The Minnesota Lynx have dropped three straight games, but I don't think anyone is worried about it. This team has no way to improve upon their #2 seed in the West. The Lynx utilized the bench and rested starters in their last game - a 16 point blowout loss at San Antonio, but the bench got 98 minutes, or almost half of all available minutes. I would expect something similar here vs. Tulsa. Tulsa is out of the playoffs, but their 12 wins are the most this team has garnered since moving here from Detroit, and a win would be a big building block toward's their 2015 season. The Shock have responded well when playing on no rest where they are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five. The Lynx have shown little desire to play at their top level with nothing at stake. Grab the points on Tulsa.