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GAME: Sacramento Monarchs (18-11) at San Antonio Silver Stars (12-16)
Line: San Antonio 2.5 TOTAL: 142.5

This is only game I really like today. And a key phrase for this game is a Sacramento coach phrase taken from SacBee.com:

"Our goal right now is making the playoffs," Whisenant said. He's hoping for a victory tonight that will make the rest of the regular season about seeding.


And the a fastest way to get a playoff ticket is to win against San Antonio today. Sacramento won 9 of last 10 games but all games were quite closed with highest winning spread of 11 points. But Sacramento is still a team which know how to win against SA and more of that they are in good form right now after winning 2 consecutive games against Detroit and Houston at home. The only problem I see here is that Sacramento is 3-11 in away games this season while San Antonio is 6-8 at home.
But I still expect that Sacramento will use their size advantage under boards while SA have key players injuries and lost 8 of last 10 games to much more easier opponents than Sacramento.

Predicted score: San Antonio 64 - 73 Sacramento

Bet On: Sacramento (-2.5) or Sacramento ML (medium-high stake)

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GAME: Houston Comets (16-13) at Minnesota Lynx (9-20)
SPREAD: Minnesota 2.5 TOTAL: 146

To beat 147.5 total teams should score 37 points per quarter. In 3 games played this season they scored 37+ points only in 2 of 12 played quarters while their normal scoring ability is 34.9 pts per quarter. But that's not all.
Houston have 4 injured players: Candy, Dixon, Thompson and Philips. They adapted to play without Thompson because she is not playing for a month but in last game Dixon got injuried and this can break their game especialy in offense because she is a key player in attacks organizing.

Houston scoring in 9 of last 10 games (I don't take their game with Phoenix when they scored 98 points) is only 67.8 pts. And this numbers may be even lower without Dixon. But team is still fighting for playoff spot and if they want to win games they need to win games by playing good defence and they know how to play in defense allowing 70.3 this season.
Minnesota average scoring in 9 of last games is 66.6 pts and they have lost 8 of last 10 games. They have no motivation in this match except desire to avoid 4th stright lose at home. But I doubt that this win will come today because they score only 15 pts per quarter against Houston.
But because of injury trouble in Comets Lynx have a chance to get a win today but this will be a hard defensive battle I think because both teams have seriuos troubles in offense and correct total should be somewhere in 135-139 range.

Predicted score: Minnesota 64 - 59 Houston

Bet on: UNDER 146 (medium high stakes)

GAME: Detroit Shock (19-9) at Chicago Sky (4-24)
SPREAD: Chicago 8 TOTAL: 148

The playoff-bound Detroit Shock look to improve to 7-0 in the second of back-to-back games this season when they meet the expansion Chicago Sky on Friday night at the UIC Pavilion.

Chicago scored 70+ points in 9 of last 10 games but this trend will stop today I suppose. Why? Because Chicago played 2 games with Detroit this season and here are results of their performance (quarter totals):

16 18 16 16 15 16 21 18

Clear picture than Chicago should score somewhere about 60-64 points not more. And this is a best bet for this game Chicago under 70 and if your sportsbook allow you to bet on individual total play this bet. If you have simple total line bet on under 148 because Detroit is only 73 points in average last 10 games. But they beat 80 points mark in both games with Chicago by scoring 20+ points in 7 of 8 quarters and if this trend will continue we have to see an easy win for Detroit.

Predicted score: Chicago 64 - 78 Detroit

Bet on: Chicago UNDER 70 (medium high stake) or UNDER 148 (medium-high)
Bet on: Detroit (-8) (medium-low)

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Los Angeles Sparks (23- at Phoenix Mercury (13-16)
Sportsbooks line: -1.5 TOTAL: 165.5

Ok what do we have here? LA Sparks coming into this games after loss in Connecticut where they said bye-bye to regular season champions name, they have injured Holdsclaw and now they don't have any motivation in regular season. The only thing coach staff should do in the remaining games is to give more rest to key players and avoid new injuries.

Phoenix are in superb form and their last win against Charlotte when they scored season-high 112 points is a best prove of their current form. And Phoenix still have a hope for playoff spot.

"We just have to step up and win games," Phoenix's Diana Taurasi said. "That's the bottom line. That's the only way you get into the playoffs."

By the way Phoenix lost both season games to LA Sparks 83-85 and 85-95 but they were able to win 3 of 8 quarters and one has ended in a draw. This is a good sign for today bet because seems that Phoenix is able to win Leslie and Co, especially today when LA may give more rest to Lisa and their bench players could have more minutes.

I know that Sparks is a better team, but current form of Phoenix Mercury is superb and they are in a must-win situation today while LA Sparks are in relax mode until regular season end.

Predicted score: Phoenix 85 - 78 Los Angeles

Bet on: Phoenix -1.5 or Phoenix ML (medium high stake)

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I have more picks for todays but on forum I will post only one most confident pick while others available on my site.

Connecticut Sun (24-6) at Chicago Sky (4-26)
Sportsbooks Line: Chicago 12 TOTAL: 147.5

This line is too much affected by Connecticut Suns defensive performance in last games. But all those games were they key-games (with LA Sparks) and some of the opponents were defensive minded teams (Sacramento, Houston). And that was a main reason while Connecticut played hard in defence. Because they know that they should play in defence well to win those games because in offense they would not get easy points like this may happen with Chicago.

Chicago is allowing 85 points in 8 of last 10 games (games with lows-coring Indy and Minnesota not included). But that's not all I don't understand one more thing. Look at lines history for this teams meetings this season:

7/20/06 CONN 86 - CHI 72 Push -14 O 151.5
6/23/06 CHI 79 - CONN 84 CHI 12 O 142.5

I first game sportsbooks also expected to see some kind of defence from Suns and poor offensive performance from Sky. But the final total was 163 points. In next game they expect more open game and they got it with 158 points and in both games total line was beaten.

And the lowest quarter total was in both games was 34 points, while average total is 40.1 points.

Connecticut is not a Detroit and I doubt they will be able to limit Chicago so well as Detroit did when they won in Chicago 76-49, and beside of that game Chicago average is 72 points in last 9 games. If they will be able to score at least 70 points today the total will go easily up to 155-160 points because this will be an open game.

Predicted score: Chicago 74 - 82 Connecticut

Bet On: OVER 147.5 (high stakes)