WNBA Best Bets Today: Free Picks for Thursday, May 23

WNBA Best Bets Today: Free Picks for Thursday, May 23

This article is part of our WNBA Betting Picks series.

Top WNBA Bets for Thursday, May 23

Check out RotoWire's Sports Betting page for the latest WNBA Odds, including WNBA Futures. For updated WNBA player news and WNBA Injury Report info, check out RotoWire's WNBA Lineups and WNBA Daily Projections.

Be sure to also check out the new Best WNBA Picks and Props page to see analysis of some of the best bets available across the major sportsbooks. New users betting on Thursday's games can use our best sportsbook promo codes to get the best value.

Best Bets for Thursday, May 23

Marina Mabrey Over 5.5 Rebounds (-110) at New York Liberty

DraftKings Sportsbook, 9:50 a.m. CT

Jason Shebilske: Mabrey has taken on an increased role for the Sky in 2024 following the team's offseason losses, and she's been solid on the boards, averaging 8.5 rebounds per game over her first two appearances of the year. The 27-year-old did so against a Wings team that features several solid rebounders, so I expect her to haul in at least six rebounds Thursday, even though New York's frontcourt has plenty of productive players.

Courtney Vandersloot Under 6.5 Assists (-132) vs. Chicago Sky

FanDuel Sportsbook, 11:20 a.m. CT

Jason Shebilske: Vandersloot has been one of the league's top passers throughout her career, but she's had a limited role to begin her age-35 season, averaging just 5.0 assists per game. She hasn't topped six assists in any of her first four appearances of the year, and she'll be facing her former team, the Sky, who have allowed the second-fewest assists by opposing guards to begin the regular season. It's a limited sample, but Chicago's backcourt has been effective, and I expect Vandersloot to remain limited Thursday.

Courtney Williams Over 21.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-115) at Connecticut Sun

DraftKings Sportsbook, 9:50 a.m. CT

Jason Shebilske: The Lynx have been one of the most surprising teams early in the regular season, taking down one of the league's new superteams in the Storm on two occasions. Williams has been integral to the team's success, and the team will face another tough test Thursday. The 30-year-old has hit at least 22 points + rebounds + assists in each of her first two appearances of the season, and I expect her to do so again while facing her former team Thursday.

DeWanna Bonner Over 18.5 Points (-122) vs. Minnesota Lynx

FanDuel Sportsbook, 11:25 a.m. CT

Jason Shebilske: Bonner has been productive in multiple areas to begin the regular season, including on the scoreboard. She's averaged 17.3 field-goal attempts per game over her first three appearances of the season and has scored at least 20 points in each outing. The Lynx have allowed the third-most points to opposing forwards to begin the regular season, so I expect Bonner's success to continue.

Alyssa Thomas Over 9.5 Rebounds (-115) vs. Minnesota Lynx

DraftKings Sportsbook, 11:30 a.m. CT

Jason Shebilske: I've picked Thomas' over on the boards several times to begin the season, and she's hit the over each time. While it's a lofty expectation to expect her to reach double-digit rebounds on most nights, she's one of the most dominant rebounders in the league and is averaging 11.7 rebounds per game this year. The Lynx have allowed ample rebounds to opposing forwards this year, so I expect her streak of double-digit boards to continue Thursday.

Kahleah Copper Over 24.5 Points (-110) vs. Washington Mystics

DraftKings Sportsbook, 9:50 a.m. CT

Jason Shebilske: Copper had a somewhat slow start to the season by her standards, logging 19 points against the Aces on Opening Night while going just 7-for-19 from the floor. She's been dominant since then, scoring 38 points during Saturday's win over Atlanta before dropping 37 in Tuesday's win over Las Vegas. The Mystics are a less formidable opponent than the Aces, and I expect Copper to remain one of the Mercury's go-to scoring options after averaging 20.7 field-goal attempts per game over her first three appearances of the season.

Alyssa Thomas Over 9.5 Rebounds (-125) vs. Minnesota Lynx

FanDuel Sportsbook, 12:00 p.m. CT

Zack Osell: I'm just going to say it -- listing Thomas at 9.5 rebounds after the start she's had to the season is simply wrong. She's grabbed 10 or more boards in each of her first three games, so I'm more than happy to back her tonight. In addition, the Lynx allowed three players to grab nine or more rebounds in their season opener, and two different players recorded 11 rebounds Friday (both games against the Storm). I expect yet another stellar showing from Thomas on her home court.

Napheesa Collier under 9.5 rebounds (-138) at Sun

FanDuel, 2:21 PM CT

Alex Barutha: Collier is a strong rebounder and has averaged 10.5 boards through two games. However, things will be tougher Thursday. Five of her 21 rebounds have come on the offensive glass, but the Sun allow the second-fewest offensive rebounds per game (7.0) to opponents, not to mention the fewest rebounds overall (30.7). This game is also expected to be played at a relatively slow pace, with an over/under set at 162. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Alex Barutha
Alex is RotoWire's Chief NBA Editor. He writes articles about daily fantasy, year-long fantasy and sports betting. You can hear him on the RotoWire NBA Podcast, Sirius XM, VSiN and other platforms. He firmly believes Robert Covington is the most underrated fantasy player of the past decade.
Zack Osell
Zack began at RotoWire in 2017, covering breaking news across a variety of sports. He has since focused on NBA DFS. Zack, who hails from the Milwaukee area, recently became the proud owner of a 1996 authentic Reggie White jersey, although it's yet to bring the Green and Gold much luck.
Jason
Jason joined RotoWire in 2019. In 2023, he was named the FSWA Player Notes Writer of the Year. In addition to RotoWire, Jason writes for the Sports Broadcast Journal. In 2024, he was dubbed "The Polish Parlay" for his WNBA hot betting streak.
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