Lynx vs. Valkyries Game 2 prediction: WNBA playoff picks, odds, best bets

Betting on playoff basketball requires a different thought process than the regular season.

Thus, handicappers must understand that matchups matter significantly and also that teams tend to respond off losses.

Those two worlds collide on Wednesday with the Minnesota Lynx visiting the Golden State Valkyries as 10.5-point favorites in Game 2 with a total of 151.5 points.

After losing the series opener, Golden State is unlikely to respond that effectively.

Minnesota is the top seed for a reason and simply presents too many mismatches against a limited expansion team.

The Lynx have been extremely focused after losing in last year’s WNBA Finals and should approach this will a proper mindset.

Plus, in a best-of-three series, complacency is less likely to occur for Minnesota than we often see in a best-of-seven series during the NBA’s first round. 

Also, the Valkyries had a distinct home-court advantage throughout the regular season but a scheduling conflict has moved this game from San Francisco to San Jose.

Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard (15) goes up to shoot between Golden State Valkyries center Iliana Rupert, left, and guard Kate Martin (20) during the second half of Game 1 in the first round.

The crowd should be strong, but that still hurts the Valkyries.

Golden State finished the regular season with a 27-16-1 record against the spread (ATS), which ranked second-best in the WNBA.

The Valkyries had a phenomenal season and Natalie Nakase will likely win the Coach of the Year award.

However, Minnesota is just too good on both ends of the court, which is why it won Game 1 by 29 points and is 3-1-1 ATS against the Valks.

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I have a 63-50-1 record against the spread (ATS) in this Post sports section.

My next play is Minnesota -10.5 in Game 2 (-110, BetMGM Sportsbook).

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor who has over two decades of experience in the betting space, including spending 11 years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He’s also the rare personality who has documented success – 14th place in 2023 Circa Million and Las Vegas SuperContest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K) and also grabbed headlines with a $297K win on the 2021 NFL Draft.