Fever vs. Dream prediction: WNBA player props, odds, best bets

Situational handicapping is probably the most important concept to grasp in sports betting.Correctly evaluating a team’s projected performance rather than reacting to its most recent one can prove to be a true difference-maker in a bettor’s bottom line. On Tuesday, the Indiana Fever suffered a one-point home loss to the Atlanta Dream and now visit them Thursday in each team’s very next game.Indy is a three-point road favorite with a total of 171.5. The Fever were 7.5-point home favorites but dug themselves an early hole, trailing by eight points after the first quarter.Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston delivered solid stat lines but the starting forwards laid giant eggs. Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner combined for just six points on 3-of-10 shooting, and Howard missed all four of her free-throw attempts.Plus, trailing by one with 10 seconds left and following a timeout, Indiana coach Stephanie White designed a play for Howard, who failed to get a quality shot.

The superstar Clark was relegated to inbounding the ball and barely moved after passing it to Howard. All around, it was a strange game.The Fever looked dynamic in their 35-point win over the Chicago Sky in the opener, but were inept for multiple stretches against a Dream squad that lost its opener and is playing without a true point guard since Jordin Canada got injured in preseason. Atlanta took respected money Tuesday, driving the point spread from 8.5 to 7.5.

Ironically, this is the same reason I think the Fever are the right side here.That’s because it’s likely that one team will be sharp coming off a loss and the other one figures to play with less intensity. On paper, the Dream still present a challenge with two inside forces in the 6-foot-9 Brittney Griner and 6-foot-3 Brionna Jones.

White said her team did not handle the physicality and that opponents are likely to attack the Fever that way all season. I expect Howard and Bonner to respond properly, and Indy to pl...