Sean Barnard gives his pick and prediction on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday’s matchup between the Dallas Wings and Golden State Valkyries.

In the final game of today’s three-game WNBA slate, the Golden State Valkyries will host the Dallas Wings. Both teams enter tonight under .500 and in the bottom five of the WNBA standings. Still, they have shown some encouraging flashes.

Dallas has endured some growing pains since drafting Paige Bueckers. Arike Ogunbowale has had an especially difficult time adjusting. For Golden State, it has had some expected growing pains in its first season as a franchise. It climbed to 9-7 before losing five of its past six. The Valkyries will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak tonight.

The Valkyries enter as four-point favorites and -175 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Wings hold +145 odds of getting the outright victory with the game total set at 163.

Wings at Valkyries preview

The Dallas Wings enter tonight’s matchup with a 7-17 record, which puts them in 12th place in the WNBA. They rank seventh in the league in scoring and eighth in offensive rating. The Wings grab rebounds at the second-best rate in the WNBA, but struggle on the defensive side of the ball. Opponents are scoring 85.8 points per game against them, which ranks 10th in the league. They also rank 10th in opponents’ field goal percentage and 12th in opponents’ three-point percentage allowed.

Bueckers headlines the production with 18.2 points, 5.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. Ogunbowale has career lows in scoring and efficiency, posting 15.9 points and 4.0 assists per contest. DiJonai Carrington is also averaging double figures with 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Li Yueru leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game while adding 8.8 points on 43.5% of her threes.

The Valkyries hold a 10-12 record on the season, which puts them in ninth place in the league. They play at the second slowest pace and rank 10th in scoring and offensive rating. Golden State leads the WNBA in three-point volume, but ranks 12th in three-point and field goal percentage. Defensively, the team holds opponents to 78 points per game, which ranks third in the league; it also ranks fourth in defensive rating. Opponents are shooting just 40.1% from the floor against the Valkyries, which is the best rate in the league.

Kayla Thornton is at the epicenter of Golden State’s production. The All-Star forward is averaging 14 points and 7.0 rebounds per game but is shooting just 28.2% from distance. Thornton is out tonight with a leg injury, so someone else will need to step up.

Tiffany Hayes is next on the team in scoring and adds 12.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest while leading the team with a 46% three-point percentage. Veronica Burton is averaging 11 points, 5.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds on the season. Janelle Salaün, Temi Fagbenle and Cecilia Zandalasini have each also shown some positive flashes.

This will be the second matchup between these two teams this season. The Dallas Wings won 80-71 in the last matchup on June 17.

Wings at Valkyries prediction, pick

Thornton’s absence will be notable and a bit too much to overcome for the Valkyries in this matchup. Golden State struggles to score, even when it’s at full strength, so taking away its leading scorer does not help with this. The Valkyries enter tonight on a three-game losing streak and were held to a season-low 58 points in the previous game against the Seattle Storm.

In contrast, there have been some signs of life from the Dallas Wings after such a frustrating start. They defeated the Seattle Storm 87-63 in their previous game, which snapped a four-game losing streak. This was a positive sign on the defensive end, with the 63 points marking the second-lowest point total they have allowed all season. While Bueckers and Ogunbowale are still figuring out their on-court chemistry, the two will the best players on the floor tonight. Golden State’s home crowd is one of the best environments in the WNBA, but I am still siding with the talent advantage. In addition, the under has gone 8-4 in the 12 games the Valkyries have played at home this year and 7-3 in their last 10 games overall.

Expect this to be a bit of a rock fight, but for the Wings to push the scoring to a level that the Valkyries cannot match. Count on this being a low-scoring output and the type of victory that Dallas needs as a momentum boost as they attempt to salvage this season.

Best Bet: Wings Moneyline (+145) & Under 163 Points

In addition to the Wings’ victory and the under, I am backing Ogunbowale to record 3+ made three-pointers in the matchup. You can read by breakdown for this below and check out the rest of my WNBA player prop picks on DK Network here:

It has been an ugly year for the Dallas Wings thus far. While some growing pains were expected following the addition of Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale has had a really difficult time settling in. The four-time All-Star is averaging a career-worst 15.9 points per game and has shot just 35.5% from the floor and 32.3% on threes, which are both career-worst marks.

But there have been some signs of growth as the season has progressed. Ogunbowale is coming off a 20-point outing on Tuesday in which she knocked down four three-pointers. She has shot 7-for-12 from beyond the three-point arc in her past two games. The Wings need the 2020 scoring champion and two-time All-Star Game MVP to learn to play alongside Bueckers for this team to reach its peak. Ogunbowale being more efficient as a catch-and-shoot player on the perimeter would be a huge step in this direction.

This is a perfect matchup for her to build on her hot streak as the Wings face the Valkyries. Golden State has had an encouraging season, but ranks dead last in opponents’ three-point attempts. Ogunbowale shot 3-for-8 from the perimeter in her first matchup with the Valkyries and finished with 19 points. There have been some ugly stretches, but Ogunbowale is too talented not to figure it out as the season progresses. Look for her to connect with three or more three-pointers for the third straight game and ninth time this season against a defense that should give her plenty of chances. Getting +140 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook is great value.