Closing down tonight’s two-game WNBA slate, the Toronto Tempo will face off with the Seattle Storm.
This is the third and final matchup between these two teams this season. The Tempo have picked up victories in each of the previous two games, and the two have not played since May 30th.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the Seattle Storm enter as 6.5-point favorites and hold -270 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Tempo hold +220 odds of pulling off the upset, with the game total set at 174.5 points.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction and pick for this Tempo at Storm matchup.
Tempo at Storm Preview
The Toronto Tempo have slipped to 13th place in the WNBA standings with an 11-26 record on the year. They are coming off a loss to the Las Vegas Aces in their last game, and they have dropped 13 of their past 14 games. On the season overall, the Tempo have gone 21-16 against the spread, and the game total is 23-14 to the over/under.
Injuries have been a major factor in Toronto’s struggles this season, and this will remain the case tonight. Brittney Sykes dealt with a foot issue that has limited her to 17 games this season and will keep her out for this matchup. Sykes is responsible for 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists when she has been on the floor. Marina Mabrey is the only other player to exceed this, with averages of 20.8 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game, but she will miss tonight with an adductor issue. Aneesah Morrow and Nyara Sabally will also miss tonight’s game with their respective injury issues, while Maria Conde is questionable due to a left calf injury. Of the available bodies, Kiki Rice and Isabelle Harrison headline the production with 12.0 points per game each. Harrison adds 6.0 rebounds per game, while Laura Juskaite also averages in double figures.
As a team, the Tempo are scoring 87.3 points per game, which ranks seventh in the WNBA. Toronto also ranks eighth in offensive rating, ninth in field-goal percentage and fourth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are averaging 93.7 points per game against the Tempo, ranking 15th in the WNBA. The Tempo also rank last in defensive rating, 14th in opponent field-goal percentage and 10th in opponent three-point percentage.
The Seattle Storm are bringing up the rear in the WNBA standings with a 7-31 record on the season. They are looking to snap a three-game losing streak, and they have fallen short in 14 of their past 15. On the season overall, Seattle has gone 21-17 against the spread, and the game total is 18-20 to the over/under.
Dominique Malonga headlines the production for the Storm, scoring 17.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Natisha Hiedeman adds 15.4 points and 4.8 assists of her own, but she will miss tonight’s matchup due to a left shoulder injury. Rookie Flau’jae Johnson adds 13.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists of her own, and she is considered probable for the matchup with an ankle injury. Awa Fam is the lone other player to average in double figures with 10.3 points per game, while Jade Melbourne, Ezi Magbegor and Zia Cooke also play key roles.
The Storm are scoring 82.9 points per game, which ranks 12th out of the 15 WNBA teams. Seattle also ranks 14th in offensive rating, 14th in field-goal percentage and 10th in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 88.4 points per game, which ranks 10th in the league. The Storm also rank 10th in defensive rating, fourth in opponent field-goal percentage and first in opponent three-point percentage.
Tempo at Storm Pick, Best Bet
Both of these teams are limping to the finish line of this WNBA season, with each side having some severe weaknesses. The Tempo have come out victorious in each of the previous matchups between these two sides.
In the first matchup, Toronto pulled off an 86-73 victory. The Tempo led for 77% of the matchup, but it was a competitive battle throughout, with the final score marking the largest lead of the matchup. Seattle turned the ball over 19 times in the matchup, while Toronto won the rebounding battle by five. Marina Mabrey led all scorers with 26 points in this matchup.
More recently, the Tempo produced a 93-72 win in a much more convincing performance. Toronto held a lead for 87% of the matchup, and it extended its advantage to as many as 25. The Tempo outscored the Storm 17-4 on the fast break, and five players scored 13+ points for Toronto.
Plenty has changed since these two teams last faced off on May 30th, and unfortunately for the worse for each side. These teams have lost 27 of their last 29 combined games, but one team has to come out victorious in this matchup. While my lean is toward the 6.5-point spread being too many for this matchup, I am backing the game total to remain under the 174.5-point line as my best bet.
The Tempo will be without their top three scorers in this matchup, and they have struggled to put up enough points on the board even while at full strength. Toronto has been held to as few as 62 points in a game this season and has scored 82 or fewer points in three straight matchups. While injuries have not been as problematic for Seattle, it ranks 12th in the league in scoring overall at 82.9 points per contest and 14th in offensive rating. It has been held to as few as 56 points in a game this season, and 73 or fewer in 11 matchups.
The game total finished at 159 in the first matchup between these two teams and 165 in their second game played. Across all four games that Seattle has been a home favorite this season, the game total has remained under, and it is 4-1 when it is a favorite overall. Expect this scoring total to be too high based on the context of these two teams and for Toronto’s defensive shortcomings to not be a problem against these two offenses that lack enough firepower. Count on the 174.5 game total to be too high and for plenty of sloppy play throughout this matchup.