This article is part of our WNBA Betting Picks series.
Best Bets for Tuesday, May 21
Teaira McCowan Over 9.5 Rebounds (-106) at Atlanta Dream
FanDuel Sportsbook, 10:25 a.m. CT
Jason Shebilske: McCowan's role actually decreased Saturday against the Sky when the Wings were without Natasha Howard, but I don't expect that to be the case regularly. McCowan was dominant during Wednesday's regular-season opener, securing 13 rebounds in 29 minutes, and I expect her to bounce back Tuesday, even though Atlanta has a relatively formidable frontcourt that includes Tina Charles, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Rhyne Howard.
Karlie Samuelson Over 10.5 Points (-122) at Los Angeles Sparks
DraftKings Sportsbook, 10:10 a.m. CT
Jason Shebilske: The Mystics will be without Brittney Sykes (ankle) for a second consecutive matchup Tuesday, which should allow Samuelson to handle a prominent role in the team's backcourt. Sykes missed most of Friday's loss to Connecticut and was unavailable for Sunday's game against Seattle, and Samuelson scored at least 13 points in each of those matchups. She shot 63.6 percent from beyond the arc during that time, which will likely decrease at some point, but I think the volume should be there for a solid scoring total Tuesday.
Ariel Atkins Over 16.5 Points (-108) at Los Angeles Sparks
FanDuel Sportsbook, 10:15 a.m. CT
Jason Shebilske: Sticking in the Mystics' backcourt, Atkins has had plenty of shot volume in each of the team's first three games, averaging 14.3 field-goal attempts per game. She was held to eight points in Friday's loss to Connecticut but averaged 19.5 points per game in her other two appearances. The Sparks have given up the second-most points per game to opposing guards to begin the season, so I predict that Atkins should be able to put together another solid scoring night. Users can use a FanDuel promo code to bet on Atkins to record over 16.5 points.
Jackie Young Over 20.5 Points (-110) vs. Phoenix Mercury
DraftKings Sportsbook, 10:20 a.m. CT
Jason Shebilske: Chelsea Gray (lower leg) will be unavailable for the Aces once again Tuesday, and while the team has had some moments in which it has struggled without her to begin the season, Young has had plenty of shot volume and has averaged 22.5 points over her first two appearances of the season. She's averaged 17.0 field-goal attempts per game, and I don't expect that to decrease much as long as Gray is out. As of the time of writing, you can also get over 19.5 points with worse odds on FanDuel, but I feel comfortable with the line of 20.5 points.
Arike Ogunbowale Over 3.5 Made Three-Pointers (+110) at Atlanta Dream
DraftKings Sportsbook, 1:20 p.m. CT
Kirien Sprecher: With Jaelyn Brown (nose), Natasha Howard (foot) and Satou Sabally (shoulder) all sidelined, Ogunbowale is going to get as many shots as possible every game. She took 28 shots versus Chicago on Saturday, including 14 threes, and finished with 35 points on six made three-pointers.
Allisha Gray Over 23.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (+115) vs. Dallas Wings
DraftKings Sportsbook, 1:20 p.m. CT
Kirien Sprecher: After a quiet outing in Atlanta's season-opening win in Los Angeles, Gray popped for 22 points, six rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes during Saturday's loss in Phoenix. Dallas is shorthanded, but DraftKings expects this to be a closely contested contest (Dream are five-point favorites). If things are close, Gray should get plenty of usage and finish with a solid all-around box score.
Kelsey Plum Over 5.5 Assists vs. Mercury (+110)
BetMGM Sportsbook, 3:30 p.m. CT
Nick Whalen: Plum has exactly five assists in both of the Aces' games thus far, but with Chelsea Gray still sidelined, I like this as a spot for her to hit at least six assists for the first time this season. The Mercury have allowed a ton of open threes early on (small sample alert) and have been one of the league's fastest-paced teams (another small sample alert), so this could be a game in which the Aces push for 90-plus points with Plum at the helm.
