WNBA All-Star Game Predictions, Picks & Odds: Team Spoon vs Team Coop

Nobody plays defense in this game, which is why I’m on the underdog. Rim protection and rebounding win you games in September. They don’t win you an exhibition in July.

Coop has more players who can create their own shot. Bueckers, Mitchell, Mabrey, Jackie Young, Sonia Citron and Kahleah Copper can all go get a bucket without a play being called. Marina Mabrey is the wild card off the bench, too. She tied the league’s single-game scoring record with 53 points on June 25, and she takes threes from the parking lot.

The over is the tougher of my two picks. This total has only been cleared once in All-Star history, when Team Collier beat Team Clark 151-131 for 282 points last summer. But scoring is way up across the league this season at 86.8 points per game, up from 81.7 a year ago.

Last year’s game also saw 120 of 211 total shots come from behind the arc. Both rosters are loaded with players who will happily jack it up from 30 feet, and nobody is contesting.

WNBA All-Star Game Odds

In the WNBA All-Star odds, Team Spoon sits at -175 on the moneyline, which works out to a 63.6% implied probability. Coop at +145 lands at 40.8%. Add them together and you get 104.4%, with the extra 4.4% being the book’s hold. Strip that out and the market really has Spoon closer to 61% and Coop around 39%.

The spread is a lot closer to even. Coop at -102 implies 50.5%, so you’re paying almost nothing to take the 3.5 points. That gap between the two markets is what my prediction is built on.

Movement has been steady across the WNBA odds since these markets opened. Spoon has traded between -3.5 and -4.5 all week, while the total has climbed from 274.5 up to 278.5 and touched 279.5 at some shops. Alternate numbers are on the board too if you want to buy down to Coop +1.5 (+120) or up to +6.5 (-167).

Odds as of July 25 at BetMGM. Get the BetMGM promo code before betting the WNBA All-Star Game.

WNBA All-Star Game Lineups and Format

Starters were picked by a mix of fan (50%), player (25%) and media (25%) voting. The 15 head coaches selected reserves. Becky Hammon coaches Team Coop, while Cheryl Reeve runs Team Spoon.

*Starters. Copper is an injury replacement for Kelsey Plum.

Two names to watch on the injury front, both on Coop’s side. Bueckers went down after a collision on July 19 and avoided a concussion, but her workload is up in the air. Reese left her last game after her knee buckled and walked off on her own.

The WNBA All-Star Game format changed this year too. The league scrapped the Skills Challenge and replaced it with the Shooting Stars competition, which ran Friday at Wintrust Arena alongside the 3-Point Contest. Four teams pair legends, current players and Nike EYBL prospects, with 70 seconds to hit seven spots worth two to four points each.

WNBA All-Star Game Props

Here are the prop markets I’m shopping at BetMGM, along with a pick from each board.

WNBA All-Star MVP Odds

Mitchell at +700 is my favorite longshot in the WNBA All-Star MVP odds. She’s a pure shot hunter, she ranks third in the league in threes made per game, and this award usually follows whoever gets hot from deep. If Coop pulls the upset, she’s the most likely one holding the trophy.

Wilson at +600 is worth a sprinkle if you’d rather back the favorite. She leads the league in scoring and she’s never won this award despite all those appearances.

WNBA All-Star Game Player Props

Young at +190 is the sneaky one on the board. She’s one of the steadier playmakers on either roster and Coop has shooters everywhere to feed. That number implies just 34.5%, which feels light for a guard who’ll handle the ball plenty with Bueckers banged up.

Wilson at +425 to score the first bucket is the other one I looked at hard. She’s the shortest price on that board and Spoon will feed her early, but I’d rather put the money on Mitchell’s MVP ticket.