Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Minnesota Lynx vs Atlanta Dream: Can the Dream hold off the Lynx?

The Atlanta Dream are hosting the Minnesota Lynx in Gateway Center Arena on Tuesday.

The Lynx are the best team in the West

The Minnesota Lynx are on top of the Western Conference with a 26-9 record, including 11-6 on the road. They have won the last three games and are coming off a 78-71 win over the Washington Mystics. The Lynx are the best three-point shooting team in the league with 38.8% from deep and are ranked seventh scoring 81.7 points per game. Napheesa Collier leads the Lynx with 20.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.

The Dream are still in the playoff race

The Atlanta Dream are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 12-23 record, including 7-10 at home. They have lost 6 of the last 8 games and are coming off a 104-100 overtime loss to the Indiana Fever. The Dream are at the bottom of the league scoring 75.2 points per game on 41.1% shooting from the field. Rhyne Howard leads the team with 18.1 points per game.

Betting Trends

The Lynx are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games against teams from the Western Conference, 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games following a win, 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games played on Tuesday, 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall, 13-6 ATS in their last 19 games on the road and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games playing after one-day rest. Minnesota has played under the total point line in their last 4 games playing after one-day rest and 7 of their last 9 games following a ATS loss while they have gone over in 4 of their last 5 games on the road and 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a losing record. The Dream are 10-1-2 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a winning record, 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 home games, 8-2-2 ATS in their last 12 games against teams from the Western Conference, 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games playing after one-day rest, 9-3-2 ATS in their last 14 games overall, 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games following a loss and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games played on Tuesday. Atlanta has played under the total point line in 12 of their last 16 games following a ATS win, 7 of their last 10 games playing after a one-day rest, 10 of their last 13 games played on Tuesday, 6 of their last 9 games overall and 3 of their last 5 home games.

Prediction and Conclusion

Three teams are in a race for the final spot in the Eastern Conference, and the Atlanta Dream is one of those. They are one game behind the Chicago Sky and one in front of the Washington Mystics. The Dream are with their backs against the wall tonight, hosting the best team from the West. The Minnesota Lynx are in a comfortable situation and have won the last four games against the Dream. Minnesota is clearly the favorite, but given the stakes, we go with the Dream to cover the +5.5-point spread.