New York Liberty vs Chicago Sky Prediction, Picks, and Odds: Liberty Torch Sky Stoppers

It’s been a nail-biting home stretch for the Chicago Sky, and their playoff hopes hang in the balance as they host the New York Liberty this afternoon.

The Sky passed their first test of the week, outlasting the L.A. Sparks 76-75 on Tuesday to leapfrog L.A. for the eighth and final postseason spot. Kahleah Copper was the difference-maker for Chicago with 22 points, including two clutch buckets in the final minute.

But a tougher task awaits today as the red-hot Liberty roll into the Windy City. New York is on a five-game win streak and blitzed the Connecticut Sun 89-58 on Friday night without needing big minutes from their starters. The Liberty are 8.5-point favorites in the WNBA odds.

Get the lowdown on this afternoon’s matchup with our free Liberty vs. Sky WNBA picks and predictions for September 3.

Liberty vs Sky best odds

Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account

Liberty vs Sky picks and predictions

It took a little time for the New York Liberty to find top gear offensively this year with all the new faces, but the rest of the WNBA has been put on notice with their performances over the past month. New York carried their August form into their first September contest, piling up almost 90 points on the way to a crushing victory over the Sun on Friday.

There’s a lot at stake for the Chicago Sky this afternoon, so I don’t foresee another lopsided scoreline, but I still like the Liberty offense to dial up another monster outing. The visitors have blown past the 86.5-point team total line in their past four games — and they’ve gone past 90 points in three of those contests.

Sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu may sit out again with a calf injury — and there’s every reason for New York to be cautious there ahead of the playoffs — but WNBA MVP odds contender Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones are more than capable of picking up the slack. Despite Ionescu’s absence, the Liberty still had five double-digit scorers against Connecticut on Friday.

The teams’ last meeting back on August 11 could be indicative of this afternoon’s game script. New York picked up a comfortable 89-73 win at Barclays Center, led by Stewart’s 21-point, 12-rebound double-double, and the Liberty held Kahleah Copper to just eight points.

Having shot better than 50% from the field in two of their last three games, I like the visitors to bring their offensive A-game again here.

My best bet: Liberty Over 86.5 points (-115 at bet365)

Liberty vs Sky spread and Over/Under analysis

There’s plenty to like about the Liberty as they look to pad their 15-3 road record this afternoon. Sandy Brondello’s team is the clear favorite, and an 8.5-point line sounds about right. 

After all, New York is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games and 5-1 ATS in its last six contests against fellow Eastern Conference teams. They’ve had no trouble taking care of business against weaker teams during their current hot streak, covering the spread in each of their past four games against teams with a losing record.

But with just four games to go, the Sky need every win possible to hold off the Sparks for the No. 8 seed — and there’s still an outside chance of climbing higher in the standings with a flawless finish. That should give this game a playoff feel at Wintrust Arena.

While the Liberty lead the season series 2-1, they were pushed to the limit in the first two meetings, winning those games by a combined five points. The Sky have covered the spread in their last four outings — and you can find odds north of +300 for Chicago to pull off the outright upset.

Both offenses have been purring over the past two weeks, and a line of 164 total points should be well within range. The Sky had scored at least 85 points in three straight games before the grittier win over the Sparks this week — and I’ve already put a spotlight on what the Liberty’s scorers can do.

That makes the Over an appealing pick for this afternoon’s battle. It’s been a winner in five of Chicago’s last six games after a win, and it’s 9-2 in New York’s last 11 matchups against Eastern Conference teams.

The Under is 4-1 in the teams’ past five showdowns, but the Over is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings in Chicago.

Liberty vs Sky betting trend to know

Despite turning the corner with two much-needed wins, it’s worth keeping in mind that the Sky are 1-10-2 ATS in their last 13 matchups against Eastern Conference opponents. Find more WNBA betting trends for Liberty vs. Sky.

Liberty vs Sky game info

Liberty vs Sky key injuries

Liberty: Sabrina Ionescu G (Questionable).
Sky: Alanna Smith F (Out), Isabelle Harrison F (Out), Rebekah Gardner G (Out).
Find our latest WNBA injury reports.

Stay updated with the latest picks, odds, and news! Tap the to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Pages related to this topic