(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

The Atlanta Dream guns for its third straight win when it hosts the Phoenix Mercury, this Wednesday, August 21, 2024 in The Gateway Center Arena at College Park.

After a winless July that saw them out of the playoff picture, Atlanta has racked up two consecutive victories this month that pushed them right within striking distance of the eighth place Chicago Sky.

• The Dream heads into this game in high spirits following an 82-70 upset victory over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday.

However, an acid test awaits the streaking Dream as they battle a Mercury squad that has won three of their past four games.

1. Phoenix is fresh off a 86-68 blowout victory over the Sky wherein they got a vintage performance from Diana Taurasi who exploded for 23 points.
2. The Mercury drew first blood in the season series last May with an 88-85 victory over the Dream thanks to a 38-point game from crafty guard Kahleah Copper.

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But with still three games left in the season series, Atlanta has plenty of opportunities to recover and make a late push for the final playoff spot. As of press time, here’s how the current Atlanta Dream vs Phoenix Mercury betting lines stand.

Atlanta Dream vs Phoenix Mercury WNBA FanDuel Odds for August 21

Moneyline

• Atlanta Dream: +104
• Phoenix Mercury: -128

Spread

• Atlanta Dream: +1.5 (-110)
• Phoenix Mercury: -1.5 (-110)

Over/Under (Total)

• OVER 163.5 (-110)
• UNDER 163.5 (-110)

Atlanta Dream vs Phoenix Mercury Injury Report

Atlanta Dream Injury Report

1. Aerial Powers – Calf – Out
2. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus – Lower Leg – Day-to-Day

Phoenix Mercury Injury Report

1. Charisma Osborne – Lower Leg – Day-to-Day
2. Rebecca Allen – Hamstring – Out

Best Odds for Atlanta Dream vs Phoenix Mercury

• The Atlanta Dream has won three of their last five encounters with the Phoenix Mercury. The best Atlanta Dream odds to win outright are available on DraftKings at +110.
• The Phoenix Mercury has covered the spread in two of their last three matchups with the Atlanta Dream. BWIN offers the best price for the Mercury to cover the spread at -110.
• The over hit in four of the last six encounters between the Atlanta Dream and the Phoenix Mercury. 1XBET offers the best odds for the over market at -103.

Why will the Atlanta Dream cover the spread?

The Atlanta Dream is seemingly a different team from a month before. After losing all eight games in July, the Dream has made a solid push for the last playoff spot beating powerhouse teams like the Seattle Storm and the Connecticut Sun in their past two assignments.

• This amazing turnaround has a lot to do with the return of scoring guard Rhyne Howard this month.

It can be recalled that the 24-year old Howard missed most of July due to an ankle injury. But since her return, the Dream has seemingly been unbeatable.

• Howard made her return against the Storm where she unloaded 30 points and eight rebounds to snap the Dream’s eight-game losing streak.
• She followed suit that performance with a solid 13-point outing against the Sun to extend their win streak to two.

Up next for them is the streaking Mercury team who beat them earlier this season. In their previous matchup with Phoenix, Atlanta found themselves collapsing in the end despite double-digit performances from Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, Allisha Gray, and Howard.

1. The Dream trio combined for 61 points but it wasn’t enough to thwart a balanced Mercury offensive attack.
2. A notable no-show in that game for Atlanta was Tina Charles, who was only held to six points on a dismal 2-for-7 shooting.
3. For the Dream to cover let alone beat the Mercury, they would need more from Charles, especially since Parker-Tyus will probably head into this game not a 100%.

Should Gray, Howard, and Charles put up their usual numbers, there is good potential for Atlanta to cover the spread at these current odds. It is worth noting that Atlanta has covered the spread in their past five despite losing three of those games.

Why will the Phoenix Mercury cover the spread?

The Phoenix Mercury heads into this game as the 1.5-point favorites, which was the opposite when these last two teams faced. It can be recalled that Mercury came in as two-point underdogs across multiple bookmakers in their last matchup.

A lot of that has to do with the absence of Mercury center Brittney Griner, who was sidelined due to personal reasons.

1. Despite Griner's absence, the Mercury proved all the doubters wrong, beating the Dream 88-85 thanks to a 38-point explosion from Kahleah Copper.
2. With the Mercury having Griner back in this game, they have the opportunity to push the pedal into the metal and solidify their hold of sixth spot in the standings.
3. The 33-year old center out of Baylor University was solid against the Sky with 18 points and five rebounds to support Diana Taurasi’s vintage performance.

A notable no-show for the Mercury against the Sky last Sunday was Copper who was held to seven points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field. What’s interesting though is Copper always bounces back in a big way, especially when coming from a terrible game.

• It can be recalled that Copper was also limited to seven points against the Indiana Fever in June before stringing together five straight 20-point games.

One thing that the Mercury have to do to increase their chances of covering here is to limit Atlanta shooting guard Rhyne Howard, who has been on a tear lately.

• Since her return from an ankle injury, the 24-year old Howard has been a woman on a mission, averaging 21.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and three assists while leading the Dream to back-to-back victories.

Should they be able to limit Howard’s scoring opportunities and get the offense they need from Cooper, Griner, and Taurasi, backing the Mercury to cover the -1.5 spread at these current odds could offer significant value to punters.

Final Atlanta Dream vs Phoenix Mercury Prediction: Atlanta Dream +1.5 (-110)

The Atlanta Dream has turned a new leaf since the return of Rhyne Howard, recording two consecutive victories. While the Phoenix Mercury certainly have the offensive and defensive firepower to limit Howard, the free points on Atlanta are just too good to pass up, especially with how they looked in their last game against the Connecticut Sun. Give me the free points and the Dream at home.