Liberty vs. Mystics WNBA season opener prediction: Odds, expert pick for Tue. 5/14

Liberty vs. Mystics Odds

Tuesday, May 14, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN 3

Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute WNBA odds here.

New York Liberty

It's Seafoam Season and to no one's surprise, the Liberty are heavy 12-point favorites in their season opener. After coming up short in the WNBA Finals, you can't help but feel like the Liberty are stepping — more like charging — into the 2024 campaign with extra motivation as they seek to prove that they can dethrone the Aces. But the Aces won't be the only superteam that they'll have to worry about this year as numerous teams improved over the offseason.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's take one step at a time and look at New York's first assignment — the Mystics. The Liberty took notes after the WNBA Finals and improved in that area that hurt them the most — their bench. Offensively, that'll provide relief for starters Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart.

Ivana Dojkic showed promising signs for the Liberty offense early in the preseason.

Dojkic started 15 of the 23 games she played last season with the Seattle Storm and made a lasting impression in those starts. Coming off the bench for New York, she could lift a dire situation into a reliable one.

Washington Mystics

The Mystics roster come into this season a little more depleted than what we're used to in terms of star power. After losing two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne due to her desire to take a break from basketball this year and Natasha Cloud, who signed with the Phoenix Mercury in free agency, the Mystics find themselves starting from scratch.

But those losses also provide opportunity for new and existing players. Rookie Aaliyah Edwards steps into her first season as a pro with the likes of Shakira Austin — who will likely be put to the test against Jonquel Jones and Stewart in this matchup — Myisha Hines-Allen and Ariel Atkins, all solidified shooters.

The biggest question is: Do the Mystics have enough offense to hang tough with Liberty's loaded offense?

Liberty vs. Mystics

Betting Pick & Prediction

In this matchup, I'm rolling with the Liberty. There have been questions about New York's chemistry and whether it has been able to get stronger following an ego-deflating loss in the 2023 WNBA Finals. But for a team with much as pressure as the Liberty face, there's little to no room for chemistry to be one of the factors that stands in the way of them returning to the Finals.

I see this team as a "figure it out and get it done" type of team. Even if it gets rocky at times — whether it's early on, midseason, or even over the final stretch — I envision them putting the chemistry questions to bed on their path to success.

Pick: Liberty -12