Mystics vs. Valkyries prediction: Golden State favored to win Saturday's WNBA matchup [7/18/2026]

The Golden State Valkyries will take on the Washington Mystics in WNBA action at Chase Center on Saturday, commencing at 8:30 PM ET.

Based on updated simulations, Dimers' advanced WNBA model projects the Valkyries as the most likely winner of the Mystics vs. Valkyries game.

The Valkyries, who have the likes of Janelle Salaun, Veronica Burton and Kayla Thornton, are set to take on the Mystics, whose lineup includes Shakira Austin, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.

This article offers a closer look at Saturday's matchup, including best bets and player prop picks.

Mystics vs. Valkyries prediction: Who will win and cover?

Using powerful machine learning and statistical analysis, we have simulated the outcome of Saturday's WNBA matchup between the Mystics and Valkyries, forming part of our WNBA predictions coverage.

Our famous predictive model gives the Valkyries a 75.8% chance of beating the Mystics.

According to our model, the Mystics (+8.5) have a 55.3% chance of covering the spread, while the 147.5-point over/under has a 72.1% chance of going over,.

Mystics vs. Valkyries odds

We have researched the best WNBA odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

Bet Type	Mystics	Valkyries
Spread	+8.5 (+102)	-8.5 (-112)
Moneyline	+335	-344
Total	o147.5 (-105)	u147.5 (-105)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Mystics vs. Valkyries picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best available odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets in this matchup. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

Bet Type	Pick	Bet Now
Spread	Mystics +8.5	+102
Moneyline	Mystics	+335
Total	Over 147.5	-105

According to our WNBA best bets, the top play to make on this game is Over 147.5 total points.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the sportsbook odds.

Mystics vs. Valkyries player props

Looking for Washington vs. Golden State WNBA player props? We use the best information available to project how each team's leading players will perform at Chase Center.

Shakira Austin is expected to lead the Mystics with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, while Janelle Salaun is projected to have 11 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assists for the Valkyries.

When evaluating the first basket market, Kiki Iriafen is our top projected player to score first, backed by a 14.3% probability.

Check out our WNBA player projections for a full range of projected box scores, including points, assists, rebounds and a deeper look at today's WNBA first basket picks.

Mystics prediction

Our model's projected player stats for the Mystics are:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	3PM	DFS
Shakira Austin	18	8	3	0	39
Sonia Citron	15	4	3	2	30
Kiki Iriafen	13	9	2	0	30
Cotie McMahon	9	3	2	1	17
M. Onyenwere	8	3	1	1	16

Valkyries prediction

Projected points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers made for the Valkyries:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	3PM	DFS
Janelle Salaun	11	4	1	2	21
Veronica Burton	11	3	6	1	30
Kayla Thornton	8	4	1	1	18
Tiffany Hayes	8	2	2	1	16
Kaila Charles	8	5	2	1	20

Mystics vs. Valkyries game-day updates and essential details

Saturday's action between the Valkyries and Mystics at Chase Center is scheduled to start at 8:30 PM ET.

• Who: Washington Mystics vs. Golden State Valkyries
• Date: Saturday, July 18, 2026
• Time: 8:30 PM ET/5:30PM PT
• Venue: Chase Center

Conclusion

We predict the Valkyries, with a 75.8% win probability, will likely beat the Mystics in Saturday's WNBA matchup.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.