One of the top storylines of the early WNBA season appears headed toward giving way to another on Friday night. Whether this is a good thing is a subjective matter. The six-game WNBA slate was set to be headlined by a first-time matchup between Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers when the teams meet Friday night in Dallas (7:30 p.m. ET, ION).
However, the battle of the No. 1 draft picks of the past two seasons, with Clark already an established star and Bueckers an emerging one, will have to wait. Clark has been ruled out because of an ongoing groin issue that caused her to miss Thursday’s 85-75 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.
But the WNBA has a fine backup main event Friday that features a clash of the top teams in the league record-wise as the New York Liberty (11-3), led by star Brianna Stewart, visit Satou Sabally and the Phoenix Mercury (11-4). Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET from PHX Arena.
The Mercury are 1.5-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 168 in the latest sportsbook odds for this marquee WNBA matchup.
Below, you’ll find expert picks for the WNBA slate along with selections for the 15-game MLB slate. We’ll also look ahead to a jam-packed UFC 317 card on Saturday.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Friday, June 27. All times Eastern
🏀 WNBA best bets, where to watch
Liberty at Mercury
Time: 10 p.m. | Location: Phoenix | TV: ION
SportsLine expert pick: Mercury +2.5
SportsLine WNBA expert May Meyer expects the Mercury’s smothering defense to be the difference Friday night against the Liberty. He points out that the Mercury lead the league with 18.1 cored turnovers per game and forced 22 of them in an 89-81 victory over the Liberty last week. The WNBA analyst also notes the Liberty are just 1-6 against the spread (4-3 overall) when missing 6-6 center Jonquel Jones, who remains sidelined because of an ankle injury.
More WNBA picks
⚾ MLB best bets, where to watch
Dodgers at Royals
Time: 8:10 p.m. | Location: Kansas City | TV: MLB Network
SportsLine picks — Model: Under 9.5 runs | Expert: Royals +133
The SportsLine Projection Model sees major value in backing the Under 9.5 runs. The model’s 10,00-game simulation sees the Under hitting a whopping 66% of the time, standing in stark contrast to the sportsbook’s implied probability of around 52%. The model is projecting a score of 4.7-3.7 in favor of the Dodgers. Of course, while this actual score is impossible, keep in mind it is the average calculated from the model’s simulations and suggests this game goes under by 1.2 runs.
Meanwhile, SportsLine MLB expert Bruce Marshall (+734 in last 44 MLB picks) concedes it takes some nerve to back the Royals, who have lost five straight and are coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Rays in which they scored one total run. Even so, Marshall believes the Royals have a chance to do some damage against Los Angeles starter Dustin May, and he likes what he’s seen from Kansas City rookie starter Noah Cameron.
More MLB best bets
👀 Looking ahead
UFC 317
Date: Saturday | Time: 10 p.m. main card | Location: Las Vegas| TV: Prelims on ESPN+, main card pay-per-view
SportsLine picks — Expert: Brandon Royval (+100)
The UFC traditionally endeavors to offer fans a jam-packed card in honor of International Fight Week, and UFC 317 appears poised to deliver. In the main event, Ilia Topuria, who notably knocked out former featherweight champions Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, is moving up to lightweight to challenge former champion Charles Oliveira for the vacant title. Topuria is a -400 favorite, while the battle-tested Oliveira is fetching odds of around +330.
SportsLine MMA analyst Danny “Brasco” Vithlani is predicting Topuria by knockout, but recommends finding a method-of-victory prop to avoid paying the steep money line price on the favorite. While the main event should be compelling. Vithlani finds massive betting value in some other fights.
One of his favorite plays is veteran flyweight contender Brandon Royval (+100) against rising prospect Joshua Van (-120). Van is a pressure boxer who is gaining momentum behind four consecutive victories, but is just three weeks removed from his previous appearance as he took the UFC 317 opportunity on extremely short notice.
Royval, who is the No. 1 ranked contender at flyweight, is known for his nonstop pace, varied arsenal and resilience. He’s also known for being overlooked by oddsmakers, and Vithlani believes this is happening again at UFC 317.
Click here to see Vithlani’s full breakdown, analysis and picks for the entire UFC 317 card.
More UFC picks
This news was originally published on this post .
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