Best WNBA Player Props Today: Back Atkins as Washington's Primary Scorer

Prop bet #1: Collier cruises

The Minnesota Lynx are 5-1 at home this season and it should be one-way traffic tonight as they host a Los Angeles Sparks team that’s coming off a 95-79 blowout loss to the Seattle Storm.

With that in mind, I’m looking to the Under on most of the Minnesota props, starting with the Napheesa Collier points prop.

Collier has been held to 20 points or fewer in three straight games, in part because the Lynx have been brushing opponents aside with ease, including a 100-86 win over Las Vegas on Tuesday where Collier finished with just 14 points.

I expect her to play well again here but she may not need to get out of first gear — and it’s worth noting that Collier has only reached the 20-point mark in two of her six games at Target Center this year.

The Sparks will be encouraged to have Dearica Hamby tussle with Collier in the paint and limit offensive rebounds, and we could also see some double teams to get the ball out of her hands.

Though Collier had an efficient 25-point outing against L.A. last week, I’m predicting a quieter night here, with other Minnesota scorers getting in on the act.

Napheesa Collier prop: Under 20.5 points (-120 at bet365)

Prop bet #2: Atkins on the attack

It’s been a rough season for the Washington Mystics, but Ariel Atkins has done her part to keep the team competitive — and she’s poised for another big night.

Brittney Sykes’ return provided a boost on Tuesday as Washington finally got its first win of the year, but she has been ruled out for tonight’s contest. That makes Atkins the primary scoring option again for the Mystics.

I like the O/U of 13.5 for Atkins' points prop, as she’s eclipsed that number in four of her last seven games, including an 18-point effort against Atlanta earlier this week.

Despite the scoring burden on her shoulders, Atkins is shooting a respectable 34% from downtown and there’s every chance that she takes 12 or more shots in this shaky offense. She even had a whopping 21 field goal attempts in last Friday’s loss to Indiana.

I don’t feel great about the Mystics’ chances of pulling off an upset tonight, but I see Atkins getting enough decent looks against this Chicago Sky defense to cash the Over.

Ariel Atkins prop: Over 13.5 points (-105 at bet365)

Prop bet #3: Reboundin’ Reese

Angel Reese has looked right at home in her WNBA rookie season as a bright spark in the Sky’s otherwise sluggish 4-7 start — and with the misfiring Mystics on deck tonight, I expect her to be a force in the paint once again.

The consistency of Reese’s work on the glass is a big driver for me. She’s had at least 10 rebounds in five straight games, even reaching 13 in two of those contests.

Sure, Kamilla Cardoso looms as another elite rebounder who can cut into Reese’s total, but that hasn’t been an issue in the last two games. If anything, all the attention on boxing out Cardoso creates more opportunities for Reese to grab loose balls. The Sky may also be without center Elizabeth Williams (questionable), and her absence would just add to Reese’s workload.

The Mystics rank dead-last in the WNBA with 75.4 points per game this season, shooting barely over 41% from the field. With Chicago likely to have a big edge in the rebounding battle, I’m picking Reese to feast on the boards at both ends.

Angel Reese prop: Over 9.5 rebounds (-135 at bet365)