WNBA picks: Fever vs. Sun best bets for Sunday, August 17 from proven experts

There are five games on Sunday’s WNBA slate with the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun getting things started at 1 p.m. ET on NBA TV. The Fever continue to navigate the season without Caitlin Clark, who will miss yet another contest with a groin injury. Indiana has dropped two games in a row, while Connecticut is coming off a rare win. The Sun downed the Chicago Sky 71-62 for just their sixth win of the season.

Basketball fans interested in WNBA betting should check out Sunday’s best bets for Fever vs. Sun from WNBA experts Calvin Wetzle and Aaron Barzilai.

Barzilai is a Ph.D. from Stanford who served as Director of Basketball Analytics for the Philadelphia 76ers. Five years ago, he founded HerHoopStats.com — a groundbreaking website that unlocks insights about the women’s game. Wetzel, the site’s lead betting writer, incorporates his mathematical background and strong knowledge of women’s hoops to turn the site’s prediction model into picks. Wetzel and Barzilai went 202-111-2 (+57.9 units) during the 2024 WNBA season and posted a 147-88-1 (+47.1 units) during the 2024-25 NCAA season. In the 2023 WNBA season, they finished 238-185-1 (+29.5 units).

Here are Wetzel and Barzilai’s best bets for Indiana vs. Connecticut:

Fever vs. Sun picks:

Fever -6.5 (-110)Fever/Sun Over 166.5 points (-110)

Fever -6.5

Indiana has been stumbling, falling to seventh place after losing four of its last five, but this line is just too low – even against a Connecticut team that has improved significantly since the start of the season. While the Sun are coming off a win, it’s just their sixth of the season, and they haven’t fared well following the previous five. 

In the five games following a win, Connecticut has lost by an average of 25 points per game, and a nine-point loss is their only time losing by less than 15. Bet on that trend to continue and for the Sun to lose by at least nine following their sixth win.

Fever/Sun Over 166.5

Both of these teams have been playing faster as of late. Entering the All-Star break, the Fever ranked eighth in the league in pace, while the Sun ranked dead last. Since then, they are second and fourth in pace, respectively. 

With Marina Mabrey and Leila Lacan both in the lineup, the Sun offense has looked much better. The Odyssey Sims signing has provided a boost for Indiana’s offense as well. Bet on points in this one, which may hit 170.