2026 WNBA Season Betting Guide: Futures Odds, Analysis, Best Bets & Predictions
The WNBA is reaching new heights in terms of popularity and league-wide talent, making the 2026 season, which tips off May 8, one of the most anticipated on record.
With four-time MVP A’ja Wilson leading the way, the Las Vegas Aces won their third title in four years in 2025 and are looking to go back-to-back for a second time. However, the 2024 champion New York Liberty are favored by most sportsbooks to lift the championship this fall.
Besides the Liberty, we have other teams that finished lower in the standings last year poised to make noise, including the Indiana Fever, Golden State Valkyries, and Seattle Storm. Older teams might abdicate their positions and make room for some of the younger stars in the game.
We break down the title contenders and WNBA Futures markets to consider below.
2026 WNBA Betting Resources
2026 WNBA Title Odds, Best Bet
The Aces are always in the mix while Wilson is healthy. The Liberty brings back a veteran core led by Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Steweart. The Fever has sharpshooter and MVP favorite Caitlin Clark surrounded by great defenders. All three top-tier contenders have a shot to win it all.
The Atlanta Dream and Minnesota Lynx round out the contenders with Minnesota expecting to get MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier (ankle) back sometime in June. Atlanta’s odds shortened considerably after acquiring Angel Reese this offseason.
The Phoenix Mercury is expected to take a step back after pushing to the 2025 finals, with odds listed at 30/1 alongside a young Dallas Wings squad and a second-year expansion team in the Valkyries.
Attacking this market in the preseason requires some foresight when it comes to injuries and wear-and-tear on key players. Minnesota is probably the best value at 8/1 with a chance to peak later in the season after Collier returns. The Lynx posted the best regular season record last year and opened at 3/1 to win it all this year before news deflated that number. Attack it while it remains high.
Best Bet: Minnesota Lynx
2026 WNBA Win Total Odds, Best Bet
The WNBA moved from 40 to 44 games last season and all eight playoff teams finished above .500 with at least 23 wins last year. That differs from the previous four seasons when the top-tier teams dominated and tipped the standings to push over half the league below .500.
When it comes to WNBA Win Totals, Unders might not be as profitable as they were in years past. Of course, sportsbooks have adjusted to those trends with sharp numbers.
The Liberty has a massive implied win total that is well ahead of other contenders in the futures market. Recent expansion teams in the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo are among the lowest implied win totals.
There are plenty of options to consider in this market, but our best bet is the Dallas Wings to finish above .500 and top 21.5 wins. The Wings only won 10 games last year, but with No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd in the fold joining former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers, they could have one of the best backcourts in the league.
The biggest boost for Dallas is the addition of co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith, a key cog in the Minnesota Lynx winning 30-plus games each of the past two seasons. And they added Jessica Shepard to bolster that defensive depth. Winning 12 more games is a big shift, but the Wings have believers, as a WNBA GM survey voted Dallas the most improved team this offseason.
Best Bet: Dallas Wings Over
2026 WNBA Best Regular Season Record Odds, Best Bet
So, will the Liberty follow through on projections and post the league’s best record this season. Minnesota seems iffy to repeat given Collier’s injury and the loss of Alanna Smith, but New York also has a big injury issue with Ionescu (ankle) expected to miss the first two weeks.
The Aces are on a campaign to maintain their greatness and the Fever could be unstoppable on nights when Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell are both cooking. Atlanta has a core filled with all-stars now that Reese is in the fold, and the L.A. Sparks are just a tier below the top contenders in terms of projected wins.
Given the fact that Clark missed most of the 2025 season and was somewhat aggressively attacked in 2024, we would expect the MVP favorite to make waves during the regular season and potentially lead Indiana to the best record in the W. Stephanie White won Coach of the Year in 2023 and is the favorite to win the award this year, giving us an inkling of how this team might gel with Clark at the controls and White on the whiteboard. Aliyah Boston could be primed for a huge two-way season and the Fever added significant depth in free agency.
Best Bet: Indiana Fever (+420)
2026 WNBA To Make the Playoffs Odds, Best Bet
A simple betting market offers propositions on whether a given WNBA team will make the playoffs or not. There are now 15 teams in the league, making it slightly more difficult to grab one of the eight playoff spots, but top-tier contenders are heavily implied to make the dance.
Teams on the bubble include the aforementioned Dallas Wings, Golden State Valkyries, and even returning finalists in the Phoenix Mercury. It might not be thrilling to take the Mercury at -220 odds to make the playoffs, but it would be rather shocking if stellar veteran Alyssa Thomas and her teammates fail to earn a spot. Phoenix has talent, continuity, and enough experience to win games with playoff-level stakes if the race gets tight down the stretch.
Best Bet: Phoenix Mercury
2026 WNBA MVP Award Odds, Best Bet
When it comes to the awards markets, Clark was favored ahead of Wilson to grab the biggest trophy as your WNBA MVP, but Wilson has jockeyed into poll position after taking on some money.
Wilson is also the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year ahead of Aliyah Boston and Alanna Smith, and Valkyries guard Gabby Williams is the biggest riser in that market. Aces reserves Chennedy Carter is the favorite for 6th Player of the Year. Seattle Storm center Dominique Malonga is favored in the Most Improved Player market.
Stephanie White (Indiana) and Karl Smesko (Atlanta) are tied atop the Coach of the Year market, followed by Chris DeMarco (New York).
When betting awards in the preseason, it’s best to avoid the favorites in more of the niche markets that have a deep stable of candidates. Comparatively, taking Wilson to win another MVP is a worthwhile wager.
Our favorite market to attack is Rookie of the Year, either by taking Olivia Miles or a longshot like Flau’Jae Johnson.
Miles has moved ahead of No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd in the market because she will have ample opportunities with Collier out for several weeks.
Johnson was surprisingly released by the Valkyries on draft day in a move to save cap room. At 7/1 or longer odds, the LSU product is worth a wager to use that disrespect as fuel for a big debut season with Seattle.
Best Bet: Flau’Jae Johnson Rookie of the Year
Photo Credit: AP/Godofredo A. Vásquez
