Aces WNBA title favorites again, favored over Caitlin Clark, Fever
The Aces started the season 6-6 without injured point guard Chelsea Gray after going 34-6 last year in the regular season and slipped to the second favorite to win the WNBA title behind the New York Liberty.
With Gray back in the lineup, the Aces have won four straight and are again the favorites to three-peat as champions entering Tuesday’s game against rookie star Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever at T-Mobile Arena.
The Aces, 13-point favorites over the Fever, are the +150 favorites at the Westgate SuperBook to win the title. The league-leading Liberty (16-3) are the +175 second choice.
“They got off to a bit of a rough start without Chelsea Gray. But since she returned, everyone’s going back to their natural positions, and they’re looking more like the Aces we’ve seen over the last two years,” SuperBook oddsmaker Jeff Sherman said. “I had to lower the Liberty. We took some money on them at 2-1. But it also may be tough for the Aces to catch the Liberty for home court (advantage).”
The Aces (10-6, 6-10 ATS) now have their core four intact again in Gray, A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young.
“You add an All-Star like (Gray) back into it and you go from three All-Stars to four,” Sherman said. “It’s a large difference.”
Wilson heavy MVP favorite
Wilson is the prohibitive -800 favorite to win her third WNBA MVP award in the past five seasons. She leads the league in scoring with 26.9 points per game, is second in rebounds with 11.1 per game and tied for first in blocks with 2.3 per game.
“She’s putting up numbers we haven’t seen in years,” Sherman said.
Napheesa Collier is the 16-1 second choice to win MVP for the Minnesota Lynx, the 6-1 third pick to win the title after being 60-1 in the preseason.
Reese closes gap on Clark
Nevada sportsbooks aren’t allowed to take bets on the WNBA Rookie of the Year award. But Clark, who finished a rebound shy of a triple-double (15 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds) in Sunday’s comeback win over Phoenix, is the odds-on -600 favorite at FanDuel sportsbook (which doesn’t operate in Nevada) to win the award.
Indiana started 1-8 but went 7-4 in June to improve to 8-12 (11-9 ATS).
“It was just a really difficult schedule to start the year,” Sherman said.
Chicago rookie Angel Reese is the 4-1 second choice to win Rookie of the Year after opening as a 30-1 long shot. She broke a WNBA single-season record Sunday for most consecutive double-doubles (10) and passed Wilson as the league’s leading rebounder with 11.4 per game.
Sherman said the WNBA betting handle, or amount of money wagered, is up 20 percent this season, which he attributes partly to the popularity of Clark.
“It has a lot to do with her and a lot to do with the two teams at the top people like to get behind with the Aces and Liberty,” he said. “There is some improved competition, notable names and a lot more TV exposure.”
NBA title odds
The Celtics remain the clear 3-1 favorites to repeat as NBA champions in 2025. But a few teams have closed the gap on Boston after adding key pieces.
The 76ers and Thunder are tied for the +750 second choice at the SuperBook after Philadelphia added free-agent All-Star forward Paul George and Oklahoma City added free-agent center Isaiah Hartenstein and acquired All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso in a trade with the Bulls.
The Mavericks and Knicks are each 9-1 after Dallas added All-Star Klay Thompson in a sign-and-trade, and New York is expected to acquire Mikal Bridges in a trade with the Nets.
The 2023 NBA champion Nuggets saw their odds rise to +850 after free-agent wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed with the Magic.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.