Arizona Sports Betting Begins WNBA Season with Mercury as Title Favorites
The Phoenix Mercury fell just two wins short of claiming their fourth WNBA title last year, as they were defeated by the Chicago Sky in the championship series in four games.
A year has passed and the Mercury have a new coach in Vanessa Nygaard, but they are still considered one of the top favorites to win the title on Arizona betting apps.
Nygaard’s first season in the Valley comes as Brittney Griner remains absent in Russia and with concerns surrounding Diana Taurasi’s health following her injury-riddled 2021 season.
Despite facing obstacles, the Mercury are still seen as strong contenders in the league, with odds ranging from +600 to +650 to secure their first championship since 2014.
The Mercury’s 2022 regular season will kick off with a matchup against the Las Vegas Aces at Footprint Center on Friday at 7 p.m. Arizona time. Fans can catch all the action on NBA TV.
What is the position of Mercury in the title race?
As the WNBA regular season kicks off, the Mercury find themselves in fifth place on four Arizona sports betting odds boards for the championship title.
The Mercury are favored to win with the best odds of +600 across Caesars Sportsbook Arizona, DraftKings Sportsbook Arizona, and FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona.
After claiming their fifth Western Conference crown last year, the Mercury are currently listed at +650 odds by BetMGM Arizona to win the championship.
2022 WNBA Championship Odds
Mercury is considered a slight underdog in the season opener.
Even with the advantage of playing at home, the Mercury are seen as the underdogs in their upcoming season opener against the Aces on Friday.
Phoenix is the betting underdog with a spread of +3.5 points and moneyline odds that vary from +135 at BetMGM Arizona to +142 at FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona.
In the early regular season, the Mercury have the chance to outperform teams ranked above them in the standings. They will compete against Seattle (May 11 and 14), the Aces (May 6 and 17), the Sky (May 31), and the Sun (June 3) within the first month of games.
Who are the players to keep an eye on for this year’s Mercury Squad?
Alongside Taurasi, the Mercury’s 2022 roster features seasoned players like five-time WNBA All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith, 2012 WNBA MVP Tina Charles, guard Kia Nurse, forward Brianna Turner, and former University of Arizona standout Sam Thomas.
Thomas, who led the Wildcats to the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament title game, was signed by the Mercury as an undrafted free agent in the offseason.
Author
Peterson Christopher, who has spent over seven years reporting on sports and sports betting in Arizona for publications like ArizonaSports.com, Tucson Weekly, and Green Valley News, has now become the lead writer at yengols.com.
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