The Las Vegas Aces are
among the frontrunners to win a championship in 2021 and that’s an easy position to defend. Aces forward
A’ja Wilson is the favorite in the first WNBA MVP futures markets of the year at
BetRivers Sportsbook and
DraftKings Sportsbook.
A lot of other contenders in the market have a strong case to make as well, though. Regardless of who bettors like to take home that hardware this year, DraftKings has put a great twist on WNBA betting in 2021.
A look at the WNBA MVP futures
A’ja Wilson is getting the most love from the aforementioned
online sportsbooks at +275. Following her are the 2018 MVP
Breanna Stewart (+300) and the 2019 winner
Elena Delle Donne (+600). Last season’s Defensive Player of the Year
Candace Parker and two-time All-WNBA First Team member
Brittney Griner both sit +800 in the WNBA MVP futures.
While the return of center
Liz Cambage and guard
Kelsey Plum to Las Vegas’ lineup (Cambage opted out of the 2020 season, Plum missed it with an ACL injury) means there are more “mouths to feed” on the Aces, playing with those two on the court in 2019 didn’t cramp Wilson’s style. Wilson averaged 16.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game that season.
In fact, having Cambage on the court takes a lot of defensive focus off Wilson. It’s hard to say that she’s head-and-shoulders above other mentioned candidates, though. Stewart is always a force when healthy and Delle Donne should be very fresh as she also opted out of the 2020 season.
Las Vegas’ healthy and robust roster is a big reason why bettors are giving them some love at DraftKings and at
William Hill Sportsbook. According to those two books, here are the top teams that bettors have put championship wagers down on.
| Team | DraftKings % Handle | DraftKings % Bets | William Hill % Handle | William Hill % Bets |
| Minnesota Lynx | 33% | 5% | 15% | 10% |
| Chicago Sky | 19% | 14% | – | – |
| Connecticut Sun | 15% | 2% | – | 9% |
| Seattle Storm | 14% | 43% | 16% | 16% |
| Las Vegas Aces | 10% | 11% | 28% | 28% |
| Washington Mystics | 2% | 7% | 13% | – |
BetRivers and DraftKings also both have win percentage totals for each team live. The defending champion Seattle Storm have the highest line at 64.5 while the New York Liberty bring up the rear at 33.5. Rounding out the available WNBA futures markets at both books are make/miss playoff props.
As you would expect, the Storm and the Liberty have the greatest splits there. Seattle is -5000 to make the playoffs and +1200 to miss while New York sits +290 to qualify for the postseason and -420 to fall short of that goal.
Movement on team futures with season starting
There has been some movement on championship futures at other books like
BetMGM Sportsbook as the off-season has wrapped up. For example, the Aces were a +200 at BetMGM when it first debuted its lines in early March. Now, the Storm are the favorite at +190.
DraftKings has gone the other way on its Seattle line, moving it from +175 to +225.
PointsBet Sportsbook, which slotted the Storm as its favorite at +150 in March, hasn’t budged on those odds. That’s the case for the entire championship market at PointsBet. Other notable moves include:
- Chicago Sky going from +1100 to +650 on DraftKings
- Connecticut Sun moving from +1500 to +1000 on BetMGM
- BetMGM moving the Atlanta Dream from +15000 to +10000
- DraftKings taking the New York Liberty to +8000 from +6000
- BetMGM cutting the Indiana Fever line in half, +20000 to +10000
One team that has moved because of public betting is the Minnesota Lynx. DraftKings reports taking a $900 wager on Minnesota to win it all in Pennsylvania. William Hill also shared that it has taken a $1,000 wager on the Lynx in Nevada.
In fact, William Hill’s Director of Trading Nick Bogdanovich said that “we definitely lose big with the Lynx.” As a result, William Hill has shortened its line down to +800 from +2000.
Regardless of whether you agree with teams’ positions in the championship futures, DraftKings provides an extra incentive to bet on some WNBA games this season. You can do some good for veterans while possibly winning some money.
DraftKings’ Tech for Heroes WNBA promo
DraftKings is running a free-to-play WNBA Popularity Pool throughout May for Military Appreciation Month. Through the program, it will donate at least $10,000 to its own Tech for Heroes initiative. Tech for Heroes benefits non-profit organizations like American Corporate Partners and VetsinTech.
For every 100 entries into the pool contest throughout May, DraftKings will donate an additional $1,000 to the cause. Players can enter the pool through DraftKings’ daily fantasy or sportsbook platforms. Of course, there are prizes to be won in the pool as well.
The 2021 WNBA season appears to have its usual collection of teams that have a legitimate shot to win the title led by MVP contenders like Delle Donne, Stewart, and Wilson. The wide-open nature of the league makes wagering on its outcomes quite enjoyable.
