The WNBA championship race is heating up as the opening round of the playoffs is nearing a close. With it, so do the betting odds and fans’ wagers. Let’s dive into the current state of the futures market, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
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Line movement (Open to Current)
- Aces +130 to -160
- Liberty +150 to +140
The New York Liberty opened their championship pursuit with odds of +150. They then witnessed a slight adjustment to +145 after Round 1 and their sweep of the Washington Mystics. The No. 2 seed currently stands at +140 to take home the title. Punters have shown significant confidence in the Liberty, with them accounting for 18.5% of the tickets and 23.2% of the handle.
Highest Ticket%
- Liberty 18.5%
- Sun 17.3%
- Aces 14.6%
The Connecticut Sun has had quite the journey so far. Their opening odds were set at +3000, but they’ve seen a massive drop down to +2000 through Round 1. Impressively, their odds have remained steady at +2000. Connecticut will have to take care of the Minnesota Lynx as 5.5-point road favorites tonight to move on. The Sun will face New York in Round 2 if they can get past Minnesota. Connecticut has garnered 17.3% of the tickets and 8.8% of the handle. The much smaller handle suggests smaller bets and public backing.
Highest Handle%
- Aces 39.6%
- Liberty 23.2%
- Mystics 12.0%
The season-long odds-on favorites, the Las Vegas Aces, have experienced a slight shift. They began with odds of +130, which tightened considerably to -150 after the first round and their sweep of the Chicago Sky. As of now, their odds stand even more robust at -160. Big money backs the Aces, as they’ve captured a whopping 39.6% of the handle on 14.6% of tickets. Vegas will open their second round against the Dallas Wings on Sunday.
Biggest Liability
- Mystics
- Mercury
- Sun
Said Wings commenced their championship journey at +3000, which then changed slightly to +2500. However, their odds have since drifted to +4000. Their longshot status is no doubt directly linked with being matched up with the mighty Aces in the second round. While they’re considered big underdogs, they still hold 6.8% of the tickets and 4.4% of the handle.
As the WNBA playoffs progress, these numbers will undoubtedly keep changing. With star players making headlines and teams pushing hard for the title, the betting market will remain as unpredictable and exciting as the games themselves.
As BetMGM Sports Trader Seamus Magee tells us, WNBA wagering has never been more popular. According to Magee, the book’s WNBA market has greatly grown this year. “We have seen a 27% increase in active WNBA bettors year over year.” Perfect timing as we head into the Final Four.
