WNBA lines become noticeably absent from the betting boards for one month during the WNBA regular season every four years. WNBA go through this because the WNBA season conflicts with the Summer Olympics, so in Olympic years the WNBA must suspend its action for several weeks and WNBA odds are logically made unavailable. However, this break in WNBA action does not mean you should stop thinking about handicapping WNBA odds, as you will need to pay attention to the Olympic basketball match ups in order to be prepared to handicap WNBA lines when the season resumes.

WNBA can be deeply impacted by what occurs during the Olympics because a high percentage of WNBA players participates in the Olympics. Handicappers of the WNBA odds know very well that the WNBA has amassed the most talented pool of female basketball players in the world, so it should come as no surprise that many of them are prized players for their national teams. Therefore, these players are training and playing hard even while no WNBA are available.

Olympic basketball often inspires players to play very passionately, so it is necessary to see how different developments during the Olympics may affect the WNBA lines. For instance, it is not unheard of for players to be injured while playing in the Olympics and these injuries may linger throughout the rest of the WNBA season and impact the WNBA odds. Therefore, you must be fully aware of any injuries sustained during the Olympics to determine how they will likely impact WNBA odds.

Even players who are not injured are sometimes simply fatigued from the Olympics and the event adds numerous games to a player’s season. For players on the top WNBA teams that end up playing deep into the Playoffs, the addition of numerous Olympic match ups in the middle of the season can lead to physical and mental exhaustion by the time you are handicapping WNBA lines at the end of the season. As a result, when you are analyzing WNBA lines late in the season, and particularly WNBA odds in the Playoffs, you must be mindful that some of the top players may not perform as well as expected.

Nevertheless, the Olympics can have positive impacts on players as well. For instance, some players thrive in the Olympics and mature significantly as players, meaning they return to the WNBA with improved confidence and greater ability to help their teams cover WNBA lines. Therefore, these positive transformations can also have direct impacts on the WNBA lines and must be acknowledged as you resume wagering on the WNBA lines after the Olympic break.

Smith

Published on: December 2, 2010
Last updated: January 7, 2021