Bookmakers favor Liberty to capture WNBA crown

The New York Liberty, the best team throughout the season, are the betting favorites to emerge with the WNBA championship, too.

The best-of-five WNBA Finals tip off Thursday in New York when the top-seeded Liberty oppose the second-seeded Minnesota Lynx.

The Liberty are a -260 favorite at FanDuel to capture the title, while they are listed at -285 at Caesars Sportsbook and -290 at ESPN Bet. The Lynx are +215 at FanDuel, +235 at Caesars Sportsbook and +240 at ESPN Bet.

New York earned its spot in the Finals by beating the two-time defending champion Aces in a four-game semifinal series, capped by a 76-62 win in Game 4 at Las Vegas on Sunday. Sabrina Ionescu (20.7 points per game in the postseason) and Breanna Stewart (20.0) are leading the way for the Liberty.

Minnesota squeezed past the Connecticut Sun in five games, prevailing 88-77 in the decisive contest at Minneapolis on Tuesday. WNBA regular-season MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier, who scored 27 points in Game 5, is averaging 27.1 points through seven playoff games.

The two high-scoring Liberty stars are the favorites to win Finals MVP, as FanDuel has Stewart at +110 and Ionescu at +200. Collier is at +270, with New York's Jonquel Jones next at +3100.

As for Game 1 on Thursday, the Liberty are a six-point favorite at FanDuel and Caesars Sportsbook, with the total set at 159.5 points.

The Liberty, who began play in 1997, are looking for their first league title.

The Lynx started play in 1999, and they earned WNBA titles in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.

The teams met four times previously this season, and Minnesota won three of those contests, including a victory in the Commissioner's Cup final on June 25.

--Field Level Media