VEGAS BETTING REPORT: WNBA Betting Handle Up 10% as Playoff Race Heats Up

The WNBA has been engulfed in a flurry of on- and off-court drama in recent weeks. At the center of it all is Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, whose recent comments on transgender athlete participation coincided with a hard Flagrant 2 foul from Chicago’s DiJonai Carrington that led to an ejection and sparked wider league debate. A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces reacts after scoring a basket and drawing a foul against the Seattle Storm during their game on Aug. 8 in Las Vegas. (Image: Ethan Miller/Getty Images) There’s an old saying that “any publicity is good publicity.” But is that really the case when it comes to WNBA betting handle? Controversy Isn’t Moving Handle “I haven’t seen any impact,” said Christian Cipollini, senior trading manager, BetMGM. “Betting has been consistent this summer.” Amid all the noise, some marquee playoff battles are taking shape as the schedule unfolds. Topping the schedule is tonight’s (Aug. 15) Minnesota Lynx battle against the Las Vegas Aces, 8 p.m. ET, with Minnesota, 28-7, first overall in the league, trying to protect the No. 1 seed. The Aces, 24-11, are in third. Motivation and seeding matter more now than they did a month ago. Golden State (24-9), Atlanta (21-12), Indiana (21-12), New York (21-14) and Dallas (20-14) are all in the playoff race. Caitlin Clark looks healthy again after struggling lately with a back injury. Friday night (Aug. 14) against Dallas, she looked healthy – 29 points, including 16 in the third quarter. One of the best betting games tomorrow (Aug. 16) is Indiana against Atlanta. Playoff Race Drives Betting On-court competition is driving up betting handle on the WNBA as the league rounds the corner toward the playoffs, starting Sept. 27 (the league breaks from Aug. 31-Sept. 17 for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup). “WNBA handle is up about 10% year over year so far,” said David Lieberman, pro basketball lead at Caesars Sportsbook in Las Vegas. “I think a few more individual bettors are interested in the WNBA, which is growing every year. Indiana Fever games always have a bit more handle than most teams. “I haven’t noticed an increase in betting around any off-the-court stuff. I don’t think the off-court controversy matters much in betting or handle, really; it might bring in slightly more people to watch the games or who want to bet on these games, but ultimately, I’m not sure it has a ton of impact betting-wise,” Lieberman added. Lynx Lead Futures Movement According to BetMGM, the teams with the biggest line movement (open to current) are the Lynx (+400 to -105), Aces (+300 to +400), Golden State Valkyries (+3500 to +800) and Atlanta Dream (+1400 to +850). The Fever have drawn the highest ticket percentage at 24.8%, followed by the Lynx (14.0%) and Aces (11.9%). On the handle side, it’s the Fever (26.2%), Lynx (19.8%) and Aces (14.1%). The biggest line movements in regular season MVP futures are A’ja Wilson of the Aces (+250 to -550), Olivia Miles of the Seattle Storm (+12500 to +750), Clark of the Fever (+225 to +1700), and Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings (+2000 to +2500). Clark Effect Still Resonates Cipollini noted a dramatic rise in betting handle over the last few years, driven heavily by Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut in 2024. “This year, while handle has improved, it hasn’t been to the degree it was in Clark’s years 1 and 2,” Cipollini explained. “Year 1 in particular was a major jump. I think the league is becoming less dependent on Clark. In previous years our handle on Fever futures would be five times the handle of the next team. This year, the Fever are not one of our top 3 most-bet futures book team, yet handle is still increasing versus last year. “With most sports, we typically see a direct correlation to viewer numbers and handle. If views are up, typically so is our handle,” Cipollini concluded. The post VEGAS BETTING REPORT: WNBA Betting Handle Up 10% as Playoff Race Heats Up appeared first on Casino.org.