Connecticut Sun vs Chicago Sky Prediction, Picks, and Odds: Sun Rises to the Occasion

The Connecticut Sun are headed to Wintrust Arena to face off against their former WNBA Eastern Conference Finals opponent the Chicago Sky. The Sun and the Sky are each mired in losing streaks, and both will be looking to snap them as they square off on Sunday, August 20.

Our WNBA picks and predictions for Sun vs. Sky expect Connecticut to get back on track with a convincing win over Chicago.

Sun vs Sky best odds

Sun vs Sky picks and predictions

Sunday’s game is a chance for redemption for both the Connecticut Sun and their fellow Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls, the Chicago Sky. The Sun have lost three in a row, including two decisive defeats at the hands of the Dallas Wings.

A three-game sample is a trend, but it’s not gospel. The Sun admittedly looked in poor form against Dallas, but the Wings have an offensive ceiling that is as high as any team in the W, and remain the only squad to have wins over the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces this season.

So while the Sun have been far from inspiring in this recent stretch, so has Chicago. The Sky have been mired in an even worse losing streak, dropping four in a row, including one to the injury-riddled Washington Mystics. 

The Sun will have two of the three best players in the game in Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, and a significant edge in continuity. This Sky team has come a long way since the beginning of the season in terms of finding an offensive identity, but they still struggle to take advantage of matchups, and the ball sticks too often without Kahleah Copper getting a touch. 

The Sky are also one of the W’s worst rebounding teams, and the Sun live to bludgeon their opponents on the boards. Thomas is a big reason why. She’s also one of the league’s best facilitators, and her awkward shotput shooting style is a tough cover for most opponents.

But the biggest reason to believe in a comfortable Sun cover is the difference in style of play. 

The Sun are among the elite in terms of scoring in the paint, and the Sky are the worst in terms of points allowed in the paint at a miserable 41.4 per game. Nothing the Sky can do on either end does enough to close the gap on such a glaring advantage for Connecticut.

My best bet: Sun -6.5 (-105 at Betway)

Sun vs Sky spread and Over/Under analysis

Sunday's spread is favoring the road team by 6.5 points at all sportsbooks. As usual, if you’re considering betting the favorite, it’s best to do so early before public money turns the odds against you. And as I’ve outlined, I do believe betting the Sun at this number is the play.

The Sky have not only lost four straight, they lost all four against the spread as well. They were on the road for three of those games, but even at home they’re not much better. Chicago is just 2-5 ATS in their last seven games at Wintrust Arena.

Before accounting for the stylistic advantage that should carry the Sun in this matchup, the statistical profile also heavily favors Connecticut. 

In terms of a net rating, the gap between the Sun and the Sky adds up to a whopping 9.5 points on the season. The Sun have also consistently outmatched other Eastern Conference opponents, going 5-0 in their last five tilts against the East. The Sky are just the opposite, struggling mightily against opponents from their own conference, going just 1-9-2 ATS in their last 12 against them.

Sportsbooks are predicting a stingy scoring environment for Sunday’s tilt, with the total coming in at just 158.5. 

The Sky have played in three straight Unders, and the Sun have played in four straight against Eastern Conference competition. But I’m not keen to bet the total in this matchup, again due to style of play. 

While the Sun might run up the score on the interior, that’s accounted for in this number. The issue is that this total is likely to be incredibly low variance because both the Sun and the Sky have largely eschewed the growing trend to incorporate volume 3-point shooting into WNBA offenses.

The Sky shoot fewer 3-pointers than any other W team at just 18.9 a contest and the Sun are right behind them, shooting 20.8 a game. That reduces the potential variance in terms of a total outcome significantly and means that this line is likely to be spot-on.

Sun vs Sky betting trend to know

Sky are 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall. Find more WNBA betting trends for Sun vs. Sky.

Sun vs Sky game info

Sun vs Sky key injuries

Sun: Brionna Jones F (Out), Bernadett Hatar C (Out).
Sky: Rebekah Gardner G (Out), Isabelle Harrison F (Out).
Find our latest WNBA injury reports.

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