The WNBA postseason has arrived. Though some of the league’s biggest stars like Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore missed the season, there’s still plenty of intrigue as the playoffs begin Wednesday.

The Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun earned the league’s top two seeds, giving them the distinct advantage of having both received byes to the semifinals. That means they will need to win two five-game series to be crowned champions.

The six other teams will need to win single-elimination games in Rounds 1 and 2 just to get to the semifinals stage. The odds reflect that, as both Washington and Connecticut are distinct favorites to win it all.

Best bets to Win the 2019 WNBA Title

Odds are current as of publication but subject to change.

PICK 1: Washington Mystics

It’s difficult to put into words how dominant the Washington Mystics offense was in the regular season. Their 115.9 offensive rating shattered the previous record of 109.1, and it was the WNBA’s best by 12.6 points per 100 possessions.

In fact, the difference between Washington and No. 2 Chicago (103.3) was greater than the difference between No. 2 Chicago and league-worst Atlanta (91.6). In a year when offense was down across the board, the Mystics were the greatest offensive team in WNBA history.

Elena Delle Donne completed her quest to become the first player to go 50/40/90 in a season, and she’ll run away with MVP honors. Kristi Tolliver and Nastasha Cloud were the only teammates in the top-10 for assists per game, and the Mystics went 19-4 to finish the season after the return of second-leading scorer Emma Meesseman.

Washington will have home-court advantage throughout the postseason, but their road effort might be what pushes them over the top. They were 12-5 (.705) away from the nation’s capital this season, the only WNBA team with a winning record (the rest of the league was a combined 68-119; .363).

Simply put, they’re great at home (14-3), great on the road and need six wins to win the franchise’s first title. The last two WNBA champions were also the top seed and favorites. The Mystics were historically good, they’re healthy, they’ve won 17 of 19 and are the best bet on the board.

PICK 2: Los Angeles Sparks

If not for the Mystics, we’d likely be talking about the Los Angeles Sparks as the league’s hottest team heading into the postseason. They won 12 of their final 16 games to wrap up the all-important No. 3 seed, meaning they’ll play the lower seed from the Round 1 winners and then avoid the Mystics in the semifinals (the WNBA reseeds each round).

Despite not having one of the two double-byes, the Sparks are in excellent shape to advance to the semifinals. Once they’re there, they’ve got the experience to contend for a title; five of their seven leading scorers from the 2016 title team are on the roster.

They’ll do it with a balanced attack. The Sparks were one of two WNBA teams to rank in the top-4 of both offensive and defensive efficiency. They’re loaded in the frontcourt with Candace Parker and twins Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike, while Chelsea Gray put together a third consecutive All-Star campaign at the point, finishing second in the WNBA in assists per game.

A whopping six different players average at least a steal per game for a defense that turned it on late, holding six of their final eight opponents under 73 points. They’re getting hot at the right time and the bracket fell well for them. They’re excellent value at +650.

PICK 3: Connecticut Sun

It was a streaky regular season for the Connecticut Sun, who had two separate seven-game winning streaks but also lost five straight at one point and closed by losing three of six (though they rested many core players in the season finale). They managed to put together a 23-11 record through all those ups and downs, and they earned a top-2 seed for the first time since 2012.

The hope for Curt Miller’s group is that they can get hot when the semifinals roll around. They have the distinction of being the only postseason team with a winning record against the Mystics (2-1) and also have a winning record against Las Vegas in a potential semifinals matchup.

Jonquel Jones, who became the first player to lead the WNBA in rebounds and blocks since Candance Parker in 2009, will be a force to deal with the entire postseason. They’re balanced by guard Courtney Williams and forward Alyssa Thomas, while Shekinna Stricklen was one of the league’s best outside shooters.

Their 15-2 home record was the league’s best, which is critical for a team that will have home court in the semifinals. They’re a solid play at +325.

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2019 WNBA Title Odds

Odds are current as of publication but subject to change.