Washington Mystics vs Atlanta Dream: Preview and predictions | Sep. 13, 2024

The Washington Mystics and the Atlanta Dream close out their season series with a home-and-away schedule. Washington will be in Atlanta on Friday before the rematch on the Mystics’ home court on Sunday. Both teams are desperate for wins as they are chasing the Chicago Sky for the eighth and final postseason slot.

The Mystics are putting together a surprisingly strong finishing kick to end the regular season. They are 6-2 in their last eight games to crawl within a game of the Sky for a place in the playoffs. A win by Washington will give them a 2-1 edge in head-to-head games against the Dream and improve their conference record to 7-4.

Meanwhile, the Dream are 2-7 since winning three straight games in mid-August. Atlanta has been playing hard but it has to play better, particularly down the stretch. A win by the hosts will keep their hopes of making the playoff alive.

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Washington Mystics vs Atlanta Dream: Preview and Prediction

The Gateway Center will host the third meeting of the season between the Washington Mystics and Atlanta Dream. ION will air the game while live streaming is available by subscribing to the WNBA League Pass.

Moneyline: Mystics (+135) vs. Dream (-160)

Spread: Mystics (+3.5) vs. Dream (-3.5)

Total (O/U): Mystics (o156.5 -110) vs. Dream (u156.5 -110)

Editor’s Note: The odds could change closer to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.

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Washington Mystics vs Atlanta Dream: Game preview

The Washington Mystics have turned to their defense to put themselves in contention for a playoff spot. Over their last eight games, they have limited opponents to 76.4 PPG, a big improvement from their 81.7 average the rest of the season. Washington’s losses during this stretch came against the Connecticut Sun and the Minnesota Lynx, teams battling for the No. 2 seed.

If the Mystics’ defense continues to hold up, they have a good chance of beating the Atlanta Dream.

The Dream badly need their “Big Three” of Allisha Gray, Tina Charles and Rhyne Howard to step up. For most of the season, Atlanta has hardly seen them play well at the same time. With a playoff spot at stake, the trio has to answer the bell, particularly on offense.

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Washington Mystics vs Atlanta Dream: Prediction

The Mystics are slight underdogs but they have been on a roll. They obliterated the Chicago Sky 89-58 on Wednesday to show the seriousness of their push for a playoff spot. Washington has the better defense and the momentum to eke out a win on the road.