WNBA Player Props and Best Bets: First Chance to Bet on Paige Bueckers on Opening Day

Welcome back, ladies! The new WNBA season gets underway today with a trio of games: Atlanta vs. Washington, Minnesota vs. Dallas, and Los Angeles vs. Golden State. It will be the first chance for bettors to put money down on Paige Bueckers and the Valkyries. 

Along with the traditional betting lines, sportsbooks will have odds on player prop markets as well. The following are some of our favorite options featuring the WNBA’s best and brightest on Opening Day.

Best WNBA Prop Bets for Friday, May 16

Brittney Griner, OVER 23.5 Pts + Reb

New  Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko will probably lean on veterans like Griner in the season opener. She’s a smart, savvy veteran who will know how to clean up the sloppy play that is bound to be a part of a game featuring two rebuilding teams.

When these two teams played in the preseason, Griner logged 19 minutes, scoring 16 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Since she’ll likely log upwards of 30 minutes tonight, she’ll at least match if not improve upon those preseason stats (+380 to record a double-double).

Paige Bueckers, OVER 14.5 Points

I briefly thought about going with her pts/reb/ast combo. But while we know Bueckers is talented and capable, this is her pro debut against a good Minnesota team. She’ll be ready to contribute on the scoreboard, but fans may want to pump the brakes on other stats.

If the Dallas defense is as bad as it was last year, they’ll be playing catch-up for most of the game, making it more likely she keeps shooting. As long as she takes double-digit shots, she’ll have no trouble going OVER 14.5 points.

Napheesa Collier, OVER 20.5 Points

Collier averaged 23.5 ppg in the playoffs last year and 20.4 ppg during the regular season. In the season opener vs. Seattle, she had 20 points and 12 rebounds. But that was against a good Storm team. Dallas could be good this year, but their defense was terrible last year.

The Wings will play better defense this season, but it will likely take time to develop. I don’t expect it to be ready to go on Opening Day against a good offensive team like the Lynx. The Minnesota offense goes through Collier; she’ll get her shots and go OVER her total.

Kelsey Plum, UNDER 21.5 Points

Plum averaged 17.8 points per game last season as the secondary scoring option for the Aces next to A’ja Wilson. But with the Sparks, she’s going to be the primary option and the focal point of opposing defenses.

I don’t have high expectations for Golden State’s defense in their season opener. But I also don’t have high expectations for the offense of a rebuilt Sparks team. When these two met in the preseason, Plum played for 24 minutes and logged 11 points.

She’ll get some additional minutes and some more shots, but at most, she’ll match her season average from last year.

Dearica Hamby, UNDER 14.5 Points

Hamby was the leading scorer for the Sparks last season, but with the players added in the offseason, i.e., Kelsey Plum, it is hard to say that she’ll have that kind of role this year. It certainly did not look like it when she took four shots, hitting two, in the preseason game vs. the Valkyries.

Rickea Jackson and Plum took center stage in the preseason and could very well do the same tonight. I expect Hamby to play more of a role in the offense tonight, but I’m not confident she’ll see the ball enough to even have a chance to go over her total.