Las Vegas Aces vs. Atlanta Dream Prediction, Preview and Odds - 8/26/21
It’s an interconference battle of teams on opposite sides of the cut line in the WNBA playoff picture on the hardwood in Hotlanta. The Las Vegas Aces are on the road as they travel to face the Atlanta Dream Thursday night. Las Vegas comes in off a 76-62 road loss to Connecticut in their previous contest Tuesday night. Atlanta was dropped 86-79 at home by Chicago in their most recent game Tuesday night. The Aces have won three straight and five of the last six meetings in the series. That includes a 118-95 romp at home in the first meeting between the teams this season back on July 4.
Las Vegas Aces Looking to Regroup on the Road
Las Vegas saw their three-game win streak snapped as they lost for just the third time in their last 10 contests by falling to Connecticut on the road. The Aces entered Wednesday tied for second in the WNBA playoff picture with the Storm, one game behind the Sun for the top spot. Las Vegas led by as many as five in the opening quarter but gave up an 11-3 run to end the quarter to trail by four after the opening quarter. The Aces led by three with 7:08 to play in the first half before giving up a 7-0 run to trail 26-22. Las Vegas never got closer than two after that. The Aces trailed by eight at the half and by four after three quarters before getting outscored 18-8 in the fourth to take the loss. Las Vegas shot 39.7% from the field, including three of nine from beyond the arc, and lost the rebounding battle 39-30 in the game. Chelsea Gray led the Aces with 15 points in the loss.
The Aces come into this contest at the top of the pack in scoring offense, ranking first with 89.3 points per game. Las Vegas is 1st in the league in rebounding (38.8 boards a game) and stand fourth in the league in assists by handing out 20.7 dimes per contest. The Aces have been average on the defensive end of the floor as they are 7th in the league in scoring defense by allowing 80.8 points a game. A’ja Wilson leads the Aces with 18.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Liz Cambage (14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.6 blocks), Jackie Young (11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds) and Kelsey Plum (13.4 points) are all solid secondary options on the offensive end. Coach Bill Laimbeer also can call on Chelsea Gray (11.5 points, 6.1 assists), Dearica Hamby (11.3 points, 6.8 boards), Riquna Williams (8.9 points), Ji-Su Park, Kiah Stokes and Destiny Slocum to contribute on both ends of the floor. Las Vegas is first in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 46.8% from the field as a team this season. The Aces are 11th in the league in threes per game (4.9) and fourth in three-point shooting at 36.6% on the year. Las Vegas is currently sixth in free throw shooting at 81.7% on the season.
Atlanta Dream Crashing Toward Bottom of WNBA Standings
Atlanta lost their ninth straight game and their 16th in the last 18 games as they were knocked off by Chicago at home Tuesday. The Dream dropped to 6-18 on the season and stand 11th in the WNBA playoff picture, four games behind the Wings for the final playoff spot. Atlanta’s lone lead Tuesday night was 2-0 before getting outscored 16-4 over the next four minutes to trail by 10 midway through the first quarter. The Dream was playing catchup the rest of the way and couldn’t get closer than three as Chicago had an answer each time. Atlanta shot 41.8% from the field, including seven of 22 from three-point range, and allowed Chicago to hit a hot 51.5% from the floor in the contest. Odyssey Sims led the Dream with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists in the loss.
The Dream is 6th in the league in scoring offense coming into this contest as they average 81 points a game this season. Atlanta is 11th in the league in rebounding (33.7 boards a night) and stands 9th in assists with an average of 17.9 per game. The Dream are 12th in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 87.1 points a contest this season. Tiffany Hayes is one of four players for the Dream scoring in double figures as she puts up 14.9 points a night. Chennedy Carter contributes 14.2 points plus 3.3 assists per contest. Odyssey Sims, Crystal Bradford, Tianna Hawkins, Elizabeth Williams, Monique Billings, Courtney Williams (16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists), Aari McDonald, Cheyenne Parker (10.2 points, 4.5 boards), Candice Dupree and Shekinna Strickland are other key rotation pieces for coach Darius Taylor. The Dream are 9th in field goal percentage as they shoot 41.7% from the floor as a team. Atlanta stands 10th in threes per game (6.5) and 11th in three-point percentage as they hit 31.9% of their long-range attempts. The Dream is 12th in the league in free throw percentage as they shoot 71.3% from the stripe as a team this year. Carter is suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team during the game against the Aces July 4. Parker is out for the year as she announced she was pregnant last month. Dupree (back) and Bradford (foot) are both questionable for this contest.
Pick: Las Vegas Aces
The Aces were knocked off Tuesday but three of their seven losses this season have come at the hands of the Sun. Connecticut is a team that is well-built to make things tough for the Aces, as evidenced by Wilson shooting one of 15 from the floor Tuesday night. One thing we know is that the Dream is awful defensively, as they are last in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense (47.6%) and three-point field goal percentage defense (40.5%) this season. In the first meeting, we saw the Aces pile up a franchise record for points and there’s little reason to think that the spiraling Dream can change that rhetoric here. Las Vegas earns the victory to get back in the win column by romping here.
Total: Over
When Las Vegas plays, high point totals tend to follow. Seven of the last 11 games for the Aces have wound up over the mark entering this contest. Las Vegas has seen the over hit in 15 of their 24 contests this season and we’ve seen them pile up at least 90 points in 14 games. The Aces have cracked the century mark five times, including that 118-point outburst against Atlanta last month. Atlanta has seen the over hit in 13 of their 24 games this season but their defense is atrocious. We saw 213 points in the first meeting this season: this one likely doesn’t get that high but it still goes over the total behind another big showing from the Aces.
