Chicago Sky vs. Washington Mystics Prediction: Take the UNDER for This Battle Between Struggling Teams

The Washington Mystics will try to win their first game of the season when they host the Chicago Sky tonight at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Chicago opened as a 4.5-point road favorite but can be found at -4 at a couple of sportsbooks.

Washington has come close to getting their first win, most recently when they hosted the Atlanta Dream. They held a lead early in the fourth quarter in their recent matchup (58-57 after an Ariel Atkins basket). But they struggled to make shots down the stretch and lost by six, 73-67.

Let's look at the betting odds for Sky vs. Mystics, along with our preview and pick for the game.

Sky vs. Mystics Betting Odds for Thursday, June 6

The all-time series between these two teams has been pretty close to even, with the Sky currently holding a one-game lead on the Mystics, 36-35. But Washington owned the series last season with a clean sweep (4-0, but they were 3-1 ATS).

However, with the departure of the two team leaders, Natasha Cloud and Elle Delle Donne, this isn't the same Mystics team taking the court this year.

Like Washington, Chicago squeaked into the postseason last year as one of the lower seeds and came into this season looking to move up. But the team has gotten off to a slow start this season with just three wins in their first eight games (4-4 ATS). They were 5-3 after eight games last year.    

But the season is still young, rookie Angel Reese is still getting acclimated to the pro game, and Kamilla Cardoso finally made her regular season debut Tuesday in the loss to the Liberty.

Here's the betting line for Sky vs. Mystics with odds from BetMGM Sportsbook. Head over to BetMGM and Get Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets!!

Sky vs. Mystics Preview

Chicago Sky Preview

The 2024 WNBA season has been full of highs and lows for the Chicago Sky. However, with a 3-5 record, there have been more lows than highs. They played a competitive game in the first half in three of their losses (vs. Sun, Storm, and Liberty). But in the second, they got blown out so badly in one quarter that it cost them any shot at a win.

Not having Kamilla Cardoso available until recently hasn’t helped, but the young rookie appears to have recovered from the injury she suffered in the preseason. Former LSU star Angel Reese has been coming along well, and it will be interesting to see what she and Cardoso can do in the lineup.

Chicago’s offense is unique in that it has five players with double-digit scoring averages, led by Marina Mabrey with 16.8 ppg. That is either because they have a dynamic offense that utilizes the talents of all instead of making one player the focal point, or they don’t have a player who can be their go-to person when they need a basket.

Bet on Chicago Sky at BetMGM 

Washington Mystics Preview

After losing Natasha Cloud and Elle Delle Donne in the offseason, one thing was clear about the Mystics as the season got underway - it was going to be a rebuilding year. When you lose two players that mean as much to a franchise as Cloud and Delle Donne did, it’s inevitable.

Along with losing Cloud and Delle Donne, the Mystics have had to do without last season’s leading scorer, Brittney Sykes, for most of the year (she’s played in just two games). Ariel Atkins has stepped up her game to help fill the void and leads the team with 13.2 ppg, followed by a rising star in Shakira Austin with 11.7 ppg.

When you lose so much production on offense and don’t replace it, defense becomes more important. But Washington is not doing enough to make up the difference; they rank last in scoring (72.3 ppg) and ninth in defense with 82.9 ppg allowed (second-worst point differential at -10.2 points).

The Mystics have talent, but they are young and need time to develop.

Bet on Washington Mystics at BetMGM 

Sky vs. Mystics - My Pick

The Mystics have some solid young talent on their roster, but they just don’t have enough talent to be competitive this season. Atkins, Austin, and rookie Aaliyah Edwards could all have bright futures in this league, but they aren’t ready to lead a team.

Chicago could be the team to watch as the season progresses. It will be interesting to see how the team utilizes having both Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso on the court going forward. But as far as this game is concerned, the Sky is the superior team and should easily win this game.

This season, the OVER is 3-5 for Chicago and 4-5 for Washington. Neither team plays stellar defense, nor do they have a consistent, productive offense.

This will be a low-scoring game.

• My Pick: UNDER 156.5 (-110) at BetMGM Sportsbook

How to Watch Sky vs. Mystics

• Location: Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.

• Game Time & Date: 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 6, 2024

• Streaming: MNMT/Amazon Prime