WNBA Player Props: Best Bets, Predictions for Caitlin Clark & NaLyssa Smith
What kind of performances can we expect on Tuesday from Caitlin Clark and NaLyssa Smith? Follow along as our WNBA betting analyst, Nick Galaida, breaks down three of his favorite WNBA prop bets for today — Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Get all of Nick’s picks, including more WNBA player props, at ScoresandOdds.
Opening Night of the 2024 WNBA season is here! The action will get started at 7:00 PM ET with a matchup between New York and Washington, with Caitlin Clark making her highly-anticipated debut at 7:30 PM ET against Connecticut on ESPN2. At 10:00 PM ET, the defending champion Aces will host Phoenix, in addition to Seattle hosting Minnesota, to conclude the evening’s entertainment.
I’ve already previewed Fever vs. Sun odds and predictions, but if you’re looking to target the player prop market, we have three player props worth considering for Tuesday, May 14th!
WNBA Player Props Today – Tuesday, May 14, 2024
- Caitlin Clark Over/Under 21.5 Points
- Caitlin Clark Over/Under 6.5 Assists
- NaLyssa Smith Over/Under 16.5 Points
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Caitlin Clark Over/Under 21.5 Points
Clark averaged 31.6 points per game in her final season at Iowa, which makes this number a little tough to swallow psychologically. However, it’s priced where it is for good reasons.
Last season, only three players in the WNBA averaged more than 21.5 points per game — Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart, and A’Ja Wilson. Loyd has been in the league since 2015, Stewart since 2016, and Wilson since 2018. Aliyah Boston led all rookies in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game. Simply, there is a significant transition between playing women’s college basketball and playing against professionals on a nightly basis.
There is also the fact that Clark will be surrounded by significantly more talent on her own roster than during her time at Iowa. Clark was often a one-woman show last season, with only two other players on her team averaging more than 8.4 points per game. She’s joining an Indiana Fever team that drafted NaLyssa Smith #2 overall in 2022 and Aliyah Boston #1 overall in 2023. There are capable scorers around Clark, which should remove the need for her to take on so much of the offensive burden from the opening tip on a nightly basis.
We also don’t know how well Clark’s skill set will immediately translate to the WNBA level. In college, Clark often played out of structure, which was frequently a result of there not being much talent around her. Playing with the Fever, she’s going to be running more structured sets and playing without the ball in her hands on a more consistent basis. In 2 preseason games, Clark scored 21 points in 28 minutes and 12 points in 32 minutes, respectively. There are going to be nights when Clark doesn’t even lead her own team in shot attempts, which will be new for her.
All of this is to say that there are plenty of reasons to believe Clark’s scoring output will be subdued to begin her WNBA career.
- PICK: Clark UNDER 21.5 Points (+100), DraftKings
Caitlin Clark Over/Under 6.5 Assists
Clark was an elite shooter in college, which overshadowed some of her other impressive traits. Notably, she’s one of the most skilled passers to enter the WNBA in a long time, and her improved supporting cast, relative to her days at Iowa, should provide her plenty of opportunities to showcase that talent in her rookie season.
Clark had 6 assists in Thursday’s preseason tilt against Atlanta, drawing a significant amount of attention from the defense. Tonight, she will contend with a Connecticut defense that excelled at taking away the 3-point line last season, which should mean plenty of potential assists in her WNBA debut. This is a worthwhile risk at this line.
- PICK: Clark OVER 6.5 Assists (-110), Caesars
NaLyssa Smith Over/Under 16.5 Points
If there is one player who should benefit tremendously from the presence of Caitlin Clark this season, it’s Smith. Last year, Smith averaged 15.5 points per game, despite frequently being double-teamed as a result of Indiana’s lack of shot-making ability from the outside. This year, Clark should draw a significant amount of attention from opposing defenses, which should give Smith plenty of room to operate and showcase her impressive skill set.
During the preseason, Smith scored 20 points against Dallas and 21 points against Atlanta, respectively. The absence of Kelsey Mitchell, who is listed as doubtful for tonight’s season opener, should lead to plenty of shot attempts for Smith against a Connecticut defense that was consistently beatable around the rim last season.
- PICK: Smith OVER 16.5 Points (-115), DraftKings
WNBA 2024 Results – Wager Type
Points: 0-0
Rebounds: 0-0
Assists: 0-0
Combined Playoff Record: 0-0 (0.0%)
Image Credit: Getty Images