All-Star forward Napheesa Collier will make her triumphant return when the Minnesota Lynx host the struggling Washington Mystics this Thursday, August 15, 2024, at the Target Center.

(Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)

The 27-year old Collier, who has been averaging 20 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, was sidelined for most of July after injuring her foot in Minnesota’s loss against the Connecticut Sun.

Despite Collier’s absence, the Lynx were able to win three of their past five games but they would need to pick the tempo a little bit with the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces all closing in on them in the standings.

Up next for the Lynx is the short-handed Mystics, who are also dealing with injury problems of their own. Washington, which is currently tied with the Dallas Wings for the worst record in the league, has dealt injuries to some of its key players, including Shakira Austin, Karlie Samuelson, and Brittney Sykes.

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In fact, the Washington trio were absent in their previous matchup against the Lynx last month where they found themselves on the losing end 74-67.

• Austin is listed as probable for this game for the Mystics, who are looking to break a two-game losing skid.

Will the Mystics exact revenge against the Lynx or will it be déjà vu all over again? Here’s how the current Minnesota Lynx vs Washington Mystics betting lines stand.

Minnesota Lynx vs Washington Mystics WNBA Odds for August 15

Moneyline

• Minnesota Lynx: -455
• Washington Mystics: +350

Spread

• Minnesota Lynx: -8.5 (-110)
• Washington Mystics: +8.5 (-110)

Over/Under (Total)

• OVER 155.5 (-110)
• UNDER 155.5 (-110)

Minnesota Lynx vs Washington Mystics Injury Report

Minnesota Lynx Injury Report

1. Olivia Epoupa – Thigh – Day-to-Day

Washington Mystics Injury Report

1. Shakira Austin – Hip – Day-to-Day
2. DiDi Richards – Knee – Out

Best Odds for Minnesota Lynx vs Washington Mystics?

• The Minnesota Lynx have beaten the Washington Mystics in five of their six previous meetings. DraftKings offers the best Minnesota Lynx odds to cover the -8.5 spread at -110.
• The Minnesota Lynx and the Washington Mystics hit the under in three of their past five matchups. Bet365 has the best odds for the under 155.5 at -110.
• The Washington Mystics have covered the spread in their two previous matchups against the Minnesota Lynx. DraftKings sees the Mystics covering the +8.5 spread at -110.

Why will the Minnesota Lynx cover the spread?

The Minnesota Lynx displayed tremendous grace under pressure winning three of their five games last month without Napheesa Collier.

1. A huge reason for this has been the stellar play of shooting guard Kayla McBride who has been averaging 19.2 points per game in Collier’s absence.
2. In their previous encounter with the Washington Mystics, McBride unloaded 17 points and three assists on 50% shooting to lead the Lynx to the win.

With Collier back in the lineup, the Lynx head into this game as 8.5 favorites according to the latest Minnesota Lynx odds tonight and that just seems about right. When healthy, Collier can change the entire complexion of the game as proven this season where she led Minnesota in scoring in nine of the 20 games she played.

• Considering that the Lynx beat the Mystics handily without Collier last month, backing them to cover the -8.5 spread at these current odds looks even more attractive.

It is also worth noting that the Mystics will most likely head into this game without Shakira Austin. The 24-year old Austin, who is currently listed as day-to-day heading into this match, averages 11.7 points per game.

• For context, Washington averages 78.9 points per game as a team. Even if she plays, Austin will most likely be not 100%, considering the nature of her injury.

However, Minnesota will need to be cautious with their turnovers and shot selection heading into this game, especially with how they showed up against the Mystics last time.

It can be recalled that the Lynx did not only turn the ball over 17 times in their previous matchup against Washington but also shot a dismal 38.6% from the field.

This is simply unacceptable against a young and hungry Mystics squad who will pounce at every opportunity to score easily on the fastbreak.

Why will the Washington Mystics cover the spread?

The Washington Mystics road to the playoffs has become even tougher as they head to the final stretch of the season. They are tied for the worst record in the league and have a challenging run of games ahead.

• But if there is one thing to be optimistic for Mystics backers is they have refused to go down easily this season.
• In fact, the Mystics are among the best Against-The-Spread (ATS) teams in the league with a 16-8-1 record. What’s even more impressive is they are 8-4-1 ATS when playing away from home.

Oh, and lest we forget, Washington was able to cover the +6.5 spread in their previous matchup against the Minnesota Lynx even after being down by as many as 16 points early in the game thanks to a combined team effort.

Guards Ariel Atkins and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 15 points each while Myisha Hines-Allen added 11 markers for the Mystics who also got double-digit contributions from Aaliyah Edwards and Stefanie Dolson who tallied 10 each.

A notable no-show in that game for the Mystics, however, was Canadian guard Julie Vanloo, who was held scoreless in nine attempts from the field.

• Fortunately for the Mystics, the 31-year old Vanloo seems to have gotten over that shooting slump as evident in their previous game against the Phoenix Mercury where she recorded 17 points and five assists on 46.2% shooting from the field.
• While the return of Napheesa Collier would certainly boost the Lynx’s offense, the Mystics have enough firepower to go toe-to-toe with the league’s best teams and backing them to cover the +8.5 spread at -110 does have a potential of hitting.

Final Minnesota Lynx vs Washington Mystics Prediction: Minnesota Lynx -8.5 (-110)

The Minnesota Lynx opened as 10.5 favorites and had it stayed that way, I would’ve leaned towards the Washington Mystics covering. However, the spread has gone down to -8.5 as of press time and will likely go down, especially if Shakira Austin suits up for the Mystics in this game.

That’s why I am picking the Minnesota Lynx to cover the 8.5 spread at home. Of course, having Austin back in the Mystics lineup is certainly not good news for the Lynx. But I am confident in the Lynx depth down low to limit Austin.

• Plus, they are playing at home and will have All-Star forward Napheesa Collier back in the lineup in this game.