The Liberty and Aces will meet for Game 3 of their WNBA Playoffs series this Friday, Oct. 4, at 9:30 p.m. ET. New York is up 2-0 and has the two-time defending champions on the brink of elimination as the series heads to Las Vegas for the first time.
Game 2 went to the Liberty, but it was a toss-up in the final moments. New York led 83-81 with under 30 seconds to play when A’ja Wilson missed a potential game-tying layup, sinking the Aces’ chances of winning.
Las Vegas still hasn’t beaten New York in a game this year, and this may be the last chance it gets to do so. Will the Aces nudge their way back into this series, or will the Liberty hold on and pull off the sweep?
Liberty vs Aces Game 3 Odds
WNBA odds are current as of Thursday, Oct. 3, and courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Liberty (+124) vs Aces (-152)
- Spread: Liberty +2.5 (-106) vs Aces -2.5 (-114)
- Over/Under: Over 165.5 (-110) / Under 165.5 (-110)
Liberty vs Aces Game 3 Prediction
Aces 76, Liberty 72
I firmly believe the Liberty will win this series, but I would be surprised to see the Aces go out in a sweep. It helps that Las Vegas will play on its home floor, but the level of urgency is also sky-high now that New York is within one win of advancing to the WNBA Finals.
If the Aces are going to get the job done, they need to be better defensively. The Liberty have averaged 87.5 points per game in this series, and unless Las Vegas finds a way to neutralize one of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, or Jonquel Jones, it will surely lose Game 3.
- See our WNBA Playoffs Predictions for more coverage of the semifinals.
The Aces have held the Liberty to as little as 75 points in a game this season, and it did so by winning the battle in the backcourt. Ionescu scored 14 points on 6-of-21 shooting in that contest, and New York as a whole went just 5-of-24 (20.8%) from three-point range.
Regardless of what approach Becky Hammon and the Aces take to Friday’s contest, I expect this team to be much more aggressive on both ends of the court. They can’t afford another loss, so look for them to set the tone early.
Sportsbook Play of the Day
Liberty vs Aces Game 3 Best Bet
Aces -2.5 (-114) vs Liberty
Las Vegas is 0-5 against New York this year, so picking the defending champions to cover as 2.5-point favorites may seem like a stretch. It’s hard to imagine the Aces won’t respond on their home floor, though, which is why I’m recommending this as my WNBA bet of the day.
It might take a massive performance from Wilson or another one of Las Vegas’ many stars — don’t sleep on Jackie Young, in particular — but we should all count on the Aces adjusting and finding a way to win this one, even if it ends up being their only victory of the series.
Liberty vs Aces Game 3 Prop Bet
Liberty: Under 81.5 Points (-111) @ Aces
The Liberty have gone Under this number twice against the Aces this season, including their most recent trip to Las Vegas, when they put up 79 in a 12-point victory. I’m expecting a more defensive-oriented performance from both teams on Friday, so I’m in on this bet even if New York finds a way to win Game 3.
