If it wasn’t already apparent, the WNBA is about to find out just how badly it needs star Cailtin Clark. Her Indiana Fever team takes on the Minnesota Lynx at the Target Center (Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET) in the championship game of the Commissioner’s Cup. Clark will be sidelined with an ongoing groin injury that has caused her to miss seven games this season.
Even the most casual basketball fans have likely heard of Clark, the generational talent who is known for her Stephen Curry-esque ability to drain 3-pointers from just about anywhere inside the half-court line. But on a relatively limited sporting menu Tuesday night, how many observers will tune into the WNBA’s mid-season showcase minus the league’s biggest star? The WNBA will soon be confronted with the answer.
In fairness, Clark isn’t the only player of note in the Commissioner’s Cup final. Lynx forward Napheesa Collier is the event’s reigning MVP and is averaging 24.4 points and 8.5 rebounds this season. Clark’s teammate, Kelsey Mitchell, has scored at least 20 points in each of the past four games and had 32 in a showcase 94-86 win over the Dallas Wings on Friday night.
With or without Clark, the Commissioner’s Cup, the equivalent of the NBA’s mid-season NBA Cup, offers higher stakes for its participants than most manufactured spectacles of its ilk. In a league with an average salary of about $148,000, the $30,000 bonus awarded to each player on the winning team presents a sizable incentive. The losing team earns a $10,000 bonus per player. What’s more, the Lynx (14-2) have the opportunity to become the first back-to-back winner of the Commissioner’s Cup as the event has featured four separate winners heading into its fifth iteration Tuesday night. The Fever (8-8) seek their first Commissioner’s Cup title.
In addition to the WNBA showcase, the primary alternative option on Tuesday’s sporting landscape includes a 15-game MLB slate. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Tuesday, July 1. All times Eastern.
WNBA best bets today, where to watch
Commissioner’s Cup, Fever at Lynx
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Minneapolis | TV: Prime Video
SportsLine expert picks: Under 165.5, Kelsey Mitchell MVP +1600
The SportsLine tandem of Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai say the Under 165 points is their top play in the Commissioner’s Cup. The WNBA analysts are relying on the stalwart defense of the Lynx, who rank No. 1 in the WNBA in just about every major defensive analytic.
They also like the value on the +1600 odds for Mitchell, the Fever’s leading scorer (18.9 ppg) to win MVP regardless of Clark’s status. They point out that the struggling Clark had six points on 3-of-13 shooting the last time she suited up for the Fever, while Mitchell scored 24 points on 57% shooting.
Clark being ruled out should only help both plays, as the absence of one of the league’s foremost scorers should aid the Under, and an Indiana upset win would likely need to be powered in large part by Mitchell.
MLB best bets today, where to watch
Brewers at Mets
Time: 7:10 p.m. | Location: New York | TV: SNY, MLB Network
SportsLine picks — Model: Brewers ML +105 | Expert: Juan Soto HR (+400), Jake Fetner
The Brewers (47-37) and Mets (48-37) meet Tuesday for the first of an important three-game series between second-place clubs that currently appear headed in opposite directions. The Brewers have won eight of 10 to move within two games of the Cubs in the NL Central race but are coming off a 4-3 loss to the woeful Rockies on Sunday. The Mets have lost 13 of their last 16 to drop two games behind the Phillies in the NL East and are desperate to rebound from a three-game sweep at the hands of the Pirates in which they scored four total runs.
The SportsLine Projection Model likes the underdog value on the surging Brewers as its 10,000-game simulation sees the hotter club winning at least 52% of the time, a value versus the implied sportsbook odds of 48.8%. SportsLine MLB analyst Jake Fetner likes the price on Soto to continue his hot streak, HE noted Soto finished June with a .322 average and 11 homers across 27 games.
More MLB best bets
👀 Looking ahead
Golf: John Deere Classic
Date: July 3-6 | Time: 4-7 p.m. Thursday/Friday, 1-6 p.m. Saturday/Sunday | Location: Silvis, Ill. | TV: Golf Channel, CBS
SportsLine picks — Mike McClure’s leaderboard
The 2025 John Deere Classic tees off Thursday, July 3, from TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. Ben Griffin, who’s booked two wins this season, is the 16-1 favorite, according to the latest 2025 John Deere Classic odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. He’s followed by Jason Day (22-1), Denny McCarthy (28-1) and Si Woo Kim (30-1) on the PGA odds board.
SportsLine golf analyst Mike McClure has seen his golf model correctly predict 15 major winners and his top golf bets are up $85,00 since the PGA restart in June 2020. Check out his leaderboard to see what his model identifies as the top values for the holiday weekend tournament.
More golf picks