Washington Mystics Betting Preview

The Washington Mystics look to remain undefeated after beating the Dream and Sun. The Mystics look to start the season with a 3-0 record for the first time since 2022.

The Washington Mystics are averaging 92 points on 51.2 percent shooting and allowing 87.5 points on 42.1 percent shooting. Brittney Sykes is averaging 24.5 points and 2.5 rebounds, while Sonia Citron is averaging 17 points and 2.5 assists. Kiki Iriafen is the third double-digit scorer and Jade Melbourne is grabbing 3.5 rebounds. The Washington Mystics are shooting 42.4 percent from beyond the arc and 73.3 percent from the free throw line. The Washington Mystics allowing 30 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 29 rebounds per game.

Golden State Valkyries Betting Preview

The Golden State Valkyries look for a win after losing their opener to the Sparks. The Valkyries will have a three-game road trip after this game.

The Golden State Valkyries are averaging 67 points on 36.5 percent shooting and allowing 84 points on 46 percent shooting. Tiffany Hayes is averaging 19 points and 9 rebounds, while Temi Fagbenle is averaging 15 points and 4 assists. Julie Vanloo is the third double-digit scorer and Monique Billings is grabbing 8 rebounds. The Golden State Valkyries are shooting 25.7 percent from beyond the arc and 92.3 percent from the free throw line. The Golden State Valkyries allowing 36.8 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 33 rebounds per game.

Valkyries vs Mystics Injury Report

The Mystics will be without Georgia Amoore and Aaliyah Edwards.

The Valkyries will be without Cecilia Zandalasini, while Stephanie Talbot is questionable with a quadriceps injury.

Valkyries vs Mystics Prediction

I like the Mystics more in the underdog role, but they’re off to a fine start through two games and are now 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games dating back to last season. It’s just one game, but the Valkyries were expected to get off to a rocky start. The Valkyries are starting from scratch and have a roster full of players who are trying to find their role. Remember, the Valkyries don’t have a go-to player yet on their roster, as pretty much everybody is either young or someone who hasn’t led a team.

If the Mystics are serious about making a playoff push, they have to take advantage of games like this. A hiccup here would erase a lot of the progress the Mystics have made so far. I’ll lay the points with the Mystics, mainly due to my lack of confidence in the Valkyries.

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Before we dive into the Los Angeles Sparks vs. Golden State Valkyries game let’s review the rules for the Draftkings single game showdown contest.

Draftkings Single Game Showdown Contest Rules

You have $50,000 to utilize on five players from either team. However, one of those players will be designated as your team captain. The captain accumulates 1.5 times the standard fantasy points. Additionally, the captain is 1.5 times the standard cost of the flex position.

The remaining four players in your lineup will receive the standard fantasy points. Having stated that, it is highly important for you to identify the correct player for your captain position if you hope to win a large field DFS GPP (guaranteed prize pool) showdown contest.

If you have additional questions regarding the rules for the single game showdown contest, I recommend that you check out the Draftkings website for more details.

*I recommend that all readers review the starting lineups for both teams prior to setting your DFS lineup for this one game slate.

Here are my Draftkings picks for tonight’s Los Angeles Sparks vs. Golden State Valkyries matchup.

Draftkings WNBA Showdown Picks

Captain-Dearica Hamby, Forward, Los Angeles Sparks $9,400

Veteran forward Dearica Hamby was a standout performer for the Los Angeles Sparks last season. Let’s review Hamby’s relevant player data from the 2024 WNBA regular season to better shed light on the talented forward’s overall contributions to her team.

In the 40 games that Dearica Hamby played for the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2024 WNBA regular season, Hamby averaged a rather impressive 17.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.2 blocks a game.

Looking closer at the data just presented, in the 40 games that Dearica Hamby played for the Sparks in 2024, Hamby averaged 37.3 Draftkings points a contest. It has to be said, those are the type of DFS numbers that I need to see from a player that I select at the captain position.

As I noted in the rules section above, selecting the correct player at the captain position for a Draftkings WNBA showdown lineup is absolutely vital if you hope to win a large field GPP (guaranteed prize pool) DFS contest. Keep that in mind as you construct your lineups.

In summary, I think Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby is the most likely player to post the most Draftkings points in this WNBA regular season game. With that said, I am backing Dearica Hamby at the captain position for this one game Draftkings WNBA single game contest.

Flex Plays

Rickea Jackson, Forward, Los Angeles Sparks $8,600

In addition to Dearica Hamby, forward Rickea Jackson was a key contributor for the Los Angeles Sparks last season. With that said, how did Jackson perform from a statistical perspective in 2024? Let’s examine Jackson’s game data from the 2024 WNBA regular season to answer that question.

In the 40 games that forward Rickea Jackson played for the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2024 WNBA regular season, Jackson averaged a robust 13.4 points, 3.9 assists, 1.5 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 0.4 blocks a game.

In conclusion, I fully expect Los Angeles Sparks guard Rickea Jackson to play well in tonight’s WNBA regular season matchup with the Golden State Valkyries.

Additional flex plays I like to play well in this WNBA regular season game (Draftkings price noted): Kelsey Plum, Guard (Los Angeles Sparks) $8,800: Tiffany Hayes, Guard (Golden State Valkyries) $8,400: Julie Vanloo, Guard (Golden State Valkyries) $6,600.

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Los Angeles Sparks Betting Preview

The Sparks won eight games last year and haven’t made the playoffs since the 2020 season. The Lynne Roberts coaching era begins. There’s potential with the Sparks with the eventual return of Cameron Brink, a promising young player in Rickea Jackson, and the addition of Kelsey Plum. A two-time champion and three-time all-star, Plum brings experience and playmaking ability to a fairly young Sparks roster. Dearica Hamby is also coming off her best season yet despite being 31 years old.

The Sparks have athletes and scoring, so this should be an up-tempo team that plays with some flair. Once Brink is back in the mix and Plum is comfortable with her new teammates, the Sparks should push for a playoff berth. It’s exciting times in Los Angeles for the first time in a while, which is great for the WNBA. The league is in a better place when teams with big markets are doing well.

Golden State Valkyries Betting Preview

The Valkyries will make their debut as the newest team in the WNBA, and Natalie Nakase is the head coach. It’s going to take time for the Valkyries to build chemistry obviously as they’re starting from scratch and there’s not a go-to player on this team yet. Juste Jocyte was the fifth overall pick and could eventually become the face of the franchise. Tiffany Hayes was recently the sixth woman of the year and was a first-team selection in 2018, but she’s nearly 36 years old. Players like Julie Vanloo, Kayla Thornton, and Monique Billings have experience but have never been asked to lead a team. The Valkyries are a mystery bag for the most part, so I guess time will tell.

Sparks vs Valkyries Injury Report

The Sparks will be without Julie Allemand and Cameron Brink.

The Valkyries will be without Cecilia Zandalasini and Stephanie Talbot. Kate Martin is probable despite a hand injury.

Sparks vs Valkyries Prediction

I’m not excited to lay this many points with the Sparks in a season opener when they’re not even 100 percent yet. Brink is still out for another month, it looks like. However, the Sparks still have talent and if they’re serious about ending the playoff drought, they win this game.

The Valkyries are breaking new ground, and they could be the league’s punching bag until they figure things out. Again, there’s not a concrete go-to player on this Valkyries roster, and it feels like everybody will be trying to find their role on the fly. Hell, even the coach. The Sparks have to take advantage of that. In fact, it would be time to hit the panic button if they don’t, first game or not. I’ll lay the points with the Sparks.

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