Looking at five betting picks ahead of the upcoming WNBA season

The WNBA preseason is nearly upon us, with preseason games set to begin on May 3. Ahead of the tip-off of what is expected to be a massive season for the league given the addition of popular young rookies like Iowa Hawkeyes product Caitlin Clark, there has been an uptick in betting action. From championship odds to win totals, and even points per game futures, there’s plenty of betting action taking place.

Of course, after each team plays two preseason games from May 3 through May 12, teams will make their final cuts on May 13. The regular season will then begin on May 14 with a full slate of 40 games for each team.

With the season rapidly approaching, and the preseason about to begin, let’s take a look at five WNBA futures picks to watch out for ahead of the upcoming season.

Five WNBA bets to watch out for ahead of the 2024 season

#5: Jewell Loyd 19.0 PPG (Over)

NBA: All Star Celebrity Game-Shannon at Stephen A
Jewell Loyd is fresh off a strong season that saw her play 38 games, a career-high for the 2015 top pick. Last season, Loyd averaged 24.7 points per game, a number that was again a career-high for the Storm guard.

Given that, over 19.0 PPG for this season seems like a good bet even though Loyd hadn’t previously averaged more than 19.0 PPG in a season.

#4: Aliyah Boston 14.0 PPG (Over)

Syndication: The Indianapolis Star
In Aliyah Boston’s rookie year last season, she averaged 14.5 PPG while playing in all 40 games. Heading into this season, where she will have a strong co-pilot in NCAA standout Caitlin Clark, betting over 14.0 PPG seems like a good decision.

In addition to Boston having a playmaking guard in Clark, she will also enter the season with the confidence of a second-year player after a strong rookie campaign.

#3: Rhyne Howard 18.5 PPG (Under)

Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Rhyne Howard impressed last season, in what was her second season in the WNBA. After averaging 16.2 PPG in her rookie season, Howard improved and averaged 17.5 PPG in her sophomore season.

While she showed impressive growth, seeing another big jump in production isn’t guaranteed. Given that her future O/U is set at 18.5 PPG for the season, betting the under seems more favorable.

#2: Shakira Austin 6.6 RPG (Over)

WNBA: New York Liberty at Washington Mystics
Last season, Shakira Austin averaged a career-high 7.0 RPG, which is a jump from 6.4 RPG the season before. Given her stats over the past two seasons and her growth, the odds of Austin maintaining a 6.6 RPG average or higher seems like a safe bet.

#1: Ezi Magbegor 10.5 PPG (Over)

WNBA: Seattle Storm at Phoenix Mercury
Last season saw Ezi Magbegor make significant strides in her game, averaging a career-high 13.8 PPG after averaging under 10.0 PPG the two previous seasons. With her growth, her O/U for points this season sits at 10.5 PPG.

While she’s only averaged more than 10.0 PPG once during her career, it would take a considerable drop for her to go from a 13.8 PPG scorer to under 10.5 this season.