The Lynx are hosting the Fire on Monday. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Minnesota is favored by 13.5 points and this game carries a total of 169.5 points.

Let’s get into my pick and prediction for this contest.

Lynx vs. Fire Preview

All good things must come to an end. The Lynx had won eight straight games, but this winning streak was snapped by the defending champion Aces on Saturday, 100-97. While seeing Minnesota defeat A’ja Wilson and company would have been nice, the Lynx still sit atop the WNBA’s standings at 10-3 and their 13.8 net rating is the best in the league by a mile. Ranking second is the Liberty at 6.9. Minnesota ranks first in defensive rating and second in offensive rating, and five of their 10 wins notably have come by 20+ points.

The most impressive part is that Minnesota’s best player, Naphessa Collier, has yet to play in a game this season, as she still works her way back after ankle surgery. Holding down the fort while Collier is on the shelf has been rookie sensation Olivia Miles. The 23-year-old is leading the Lynx with 18.6 points and 5.9 assists per game on 53.5% shooting and is the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year. In fact, Miles has been so good that she has firmly put herself in the MVP conversation. Miles ranks second in the league in plus/minus and she presents the sixth-best odds to win MVP on DraftKings Sportsbook at +2000.

The only player who ranks ahead of Miles in plus/minus is her teammate, Natasha Howard. Coming over from the Fever, Howard is averaging a career-high 17.8 PPG and she is leading the Lynx with 7.5 rebounds per game. Additionally, Courtney Williams is averaging 17 PPG.

Miles, Howard and Williams have been the best big three in the WNBA and the idea of adding Collier to this surging group should have Lynx’s fans jumping up-and-down in excitement. There is still no clear timetable for her return, however, but the initial plan was for Collier to resume on-court activities in June and in the meantime, the Lynx should continue to flourish, particularly in this matchup vs. the Fire.

Portland is one of the WNBA’s two expansion teams this season and the club isn’t off to a great start. The Fire are 7-8 and rank 12th in net rating at -5.6. As mentioned above, the Lynx lead the league with a 13.8 net rating. The Fire are coming off a win over the Wings on Saturday, winning this matchup 84-83, but MVP candidate Paige Bueckers missed this game for Dallas with an ankle injury and Portland had dropped four in a row before this.

Second-year guard Carla Leite is leading the Fire with 14.0 PPG and veteran Bridge Carleton has stepped up, averaging 13.8 PPG. Megan Gustafson has also come alive recently, scoring at least 16+ in three straight. Still, Portland is a weak offensive team, ranking 10th in offensive rating and it’s defense hasn’t done them any favors, either, ranking 13th in defensive rating.

Lynx vs. Fire Pick, Best Bet

This is the first time the Lynx and Fire have gone head-to-head this season and it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Minnesota doesn’t dominate. This is a classic matchup between one of the best and one of the worst teams in the league, and while a large number, the Lynx should cover this 13.5-point spread.

Minnesota is 11-2 ATS overall and 5-2 ATS at home this season, both of which are the best records in the WNBA.

Best Bet: Lynx -13.5 (-108)