Liberty vs Aces WNBA Pick: New York Eyes Another Title Run (May 17)

• The New York Liberty are coming off a season that saw them win their first league title.
• The Las Vegas Aces’ 3-peat bid was upended by New York in the semifinal round of last year’s playoffs.
• These squads last played on Oct. 6, with the Liberty claiming a 76-62 victory.

One of the games on Saturday’s WNBA slate features the New York Liberty hosting the Las Vegas Aces in the season opener for both teams. Can New York open the season with a win against Las Vegas in our Liberty vs Aces pick?

Liberty Look To Stay Hot Against Las Vegas

The Liberty finished with the best regular-season record at 32-8. They dispatched the Atlanta Dream 2-0 in the opening round of the postseason and knocked off the two-time defending champion Aces in the semifinals.

In the final round against the Minnesota Lynx, the teams split the first four games, setting up a fifth and deciding game. The Lynx fought valiantly, but New York won 67-62 in overtime, capturing its first-ever championship.

Aces Aim To Bounce Back From Disappointing Playoff Loss Against New York

Meanwhile, the Aces finished with the fourth-best record at 27-13. Las Vegas was fifth in points allowed and first in scoring, averaging 86.4 points per contest.

After sweeping the Seattle Storm in the postseason’s opening round, they came up short against the Liberty, a team they eliminated from the postseason the year before en route to becoming the first team to repeat in 20 years.

It will be interesting to see what this team looks like after losing Kelsey Plum during the offseason.

Liberty vs Aces Pick: Who Has The Edge In This Early-Season Showdown?

The Liberty enter this matchup as a four-point favorite (per BetOnline). Here are a few betting trends for both sides looking ahead to the season opener.

• The Liberty are 14-5 straight-up (SU) in their last 19 games.
• New York is 1-3-1 against the spread in its previous five outings.
• The Aces are 12-4 overall in their last 16 contests.
• Las Vegas has covered the spread twice in its previous seven matchups against New York.

Including the four-game postseason matchup, New York has won seven of the previous eight meetings between these ball clubs, and that trend will continue when these teams square off on Saturday afternoon.