Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever, Picks and Prediction, Thursday, September 18
Use Code WWWC The stage is set for a dramatic finish Thursday night with a series deciding Game 3 between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream, in the opening round of the WNBA playoffs.
Atlanta opened the series with an 80-68 win in Game 1, but Indiana responded at home with a commanding 77-60 victory to tie the best-of-three matchup.
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Fever force a Game 3
Indiana delivered its first postseason victory since 2015 with a dominant Game 2 effort, fueled by a sellout crowd in Indianapolis. Kelsey Mitchell set the tone with 19 points, four 3-pointers and four assists. Aliyah Boston chipped in 15 points, five rebounds and three assists while anchoring the interior. Veteran Natasha Howard added 12 points and five rebounds, and Te-Hina Paopao provided another lift off the bench with 11 points.
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The Fever completely flipped the momentum from their Game 1 loss. They shot 42.9% from the field compared to Atlanta’s 37.9% and controlled the glass with a 37-27 rebounding edge. Indiana’s defense proved suffocating by holding the Dream to only 60 points, nearly 25 below their season average, while also forcing 16 turnovers.
The Fever has been around since 2000, and for the first time since 2002 they controlled a playoff game from the opening tip to the final buzzer. The third quarter surge highlighted the team’s poise and composure under pressure, as they outscored the Dream 24-15 to pull away.
Dream look to rebound at home
Atlanta now faces the challenge of responding in a winner-take-all setting on its home floor. The Dream have not advanced past a playoff round since 2016, and their Game 2 struggles brought frustrations to a team that seemed to be in cruise control in Game 1.
Rhyne Howard managed only 10 points on a poor shooting night, while Allisha Gray registered nine points and seven rebounds despite foul trouble. Tensions reached a peak late in the game when Gray exchanged words with heckling fans before security intervened.
The Dream struggled from long range, hitting just 26.3% from 3-point distance, and they failed to slow Indiana’s balanced attack. Despite the performance, Atlanta has been a tough team to beat at home and can still lean on defensive pressure along with its All-Star duo of Howard and Gray to recover in the series finale.
Fever vs. Dream Prediction
Spread Pick for Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream:
- Indiana Fever +7.5 (4 units)
Indiana showed real heart in Game 2, bouncing back from a poor opener with poise and maturity. Veteran forward Natasha Howard, a three-time WNBA champion, set the tone with her experience and steadiness, helping the Fever avoid the late-game collapse that doomed them in Game 1.
Defensively, Indiana stayed disciplined without breaking down, while Kelsey Mitchell’s perimeter scoring gave them the spark they needed to pull away. With Howard’s championship pedigree guiding a young roster and the momentum of a decisive home win, the Fever enter Game 3 as a confident underdog fully capable of keeping it close, and pulling off another upset on the road.
Total Pick for Fever vs. Dream
- Under 154.5
Both games in this series have stayed well under the posted total, finishing with 148 in Game 1 and 137 in Game 2. Playoff basketball tends to tighten up as the stakes rise, and the intensity of a winner-take-all matchup should only magnify defensive focus. The physicality combined with desperation on both sides points toward another grind-it-out contest where scoring comes at a premium. With nerves high and execution tested on every possession, an offensive outburst seems unlikely. The under remains the side.
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