WNBA Player Props: Best Bets, Predictions for Caitlin Clark & NaLyssa Smith
What kind of performances can we expect on Thursday 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 — Thursday, May 16, 2024. Get all of Nick’s picks, including more WNBA player props, at ScoresandOdds.
On Thursday night, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will have the WNBA slate to themselves, hosting the New York Liberty at 7:00 PM ET on Prime Video. Clark and the Fever have a tough test in their home opener hosting the Liberty, who made it to the WNBA Finals in 2023.
If looking to target the player prop market today, we have three player prop leans worth considering for Thursday, May 16th!
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NBA Player Props Today – Thursday, May 16, 2024
Caitlin Clark Over/Under 20.5 Points
Caitlin Clark Over/Under 3.5 Rebounds
NaLyssa Smith Over/Under 14.5 Points
Caitlin Clark Over/Under 20.5 Points
Clark was a prolific scorer in college, but if the early returns are any indication, she’s going to have a much tougher time scoring the ball early in her WNBA career. On Tuesday, she was an inefficient 5-for-15 from the floor but managed 6 free throws, still only landing at 20 points.
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.
Kelsey Mitchell is also working her way back from injury and should continue to see more usage as the season progresses. Mitchell led Indiana in scoring last season, averaging 18.2 points per game. There are a few different ways in which Clark could go under on her points prop in this spot.
- PICK: Clark UNDER 20.5 Points (-104), FanDuel
Caitlin Clark Over/Under 3.5 Rebounds
We have only seen Clark play 3 WNBA games (2 of them preseason games), but what we have seen shouldn’t give anyone too much confidence in her ability to make a nightly impact on the glass. In Tuesday’s regular season opener, Clark didn’t record a single rebound against Connecticut, despite playing 32 minutes. Tonight, she gets a tough matchup against New York, who ranked 3rd in the league in rebound percentage in 2023. The under makes sense here until proven otherwise.
- PICK: Clark UNDER 3.5 Rebounds (-130), DraftKings
NaLyssa Smith Over/Under 14.5 Points
Smith scored only 13 points in a blowout loss against Connecticut on Tuesday, but more notable was the fact that she was second on the team with 12 shot attempts, with no one else shooting the ball more than 6 times.
Last season, Smith averaged 15.5 points per game for Indiana in 28.5 minutes per game despite frequently being double-teamed as a result of Indiana’s lack of shot-making ability from the outside. She played only 27 minutes on opening night but could be in for a slightly increased workload this evening if Indiana can keep this game competitive on their home floor.
Kelsey Mitchell, who led Indiana in scoring in 2023, appears likely to play but could once again be on a minutes restriction as she works her way back from injury. During the preseason, Smith scored 20 points against Dallas and 21 points against Atlanta, respectively. This is an attainable number for Smith on Thursday.
- PICK: Smith OVER 14.5 Points (-110), FanDuel
Check out more DFS sites with fantasy basketball pick’em like Betr Picks.
WNBA 2024 Results – Wager Type
Points: 1-1
Rebounds: 0-1
Assists: 0-0
Combined Record: 1-2 (33.3%)
Image Credit: Getty Images