The WNBA’s Saturday slate includes a single matchup between the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm. Despite there only being one game, DraftKings Sportsbook has intriguing options to consider.
The Storm are coming off a 77-70 loss at the New York Liberty on Thursday. Entering Friday’s action, Seattle was 1.5 games behind the Las Vegas Aces for the fourth seed. Skylar Diggins-Smith led Seattle with 21 points, while Gabby Williams added 17.
Seattle is coming off a two-game stretch containing its opponent below 80 points, improving to 15-3 when that occurs. The Storm ranks second in the WNBA in opposing field goal percentage at 42.4% and just 41.2% in home games.
The Mercury lost 90-77 to the Washington Mystics in their previous outing despite the opponent being an 11-23 squad clinging to dwindling playoff hopes. Natasha Cloud was sidelined as she served a one-game suspension. Brittney Griner had 15 points and five rebounds.
Let’s look below at my top bets for Saturday’s WNBA betting card and an analysis based on recent trends and player strength.
Phoenix Mercury vs. Seattle Storm
Brittney Griner Over 17.5 Points (-110)
This feels like one of those bets that could go either way, so proceed with some caution. Brittney Griner averages 16.3 points on the road and failed to reach the 18-point threshold in six of 11 performances. However, A solid source for optimism about Griner’s outlook on this one is her 28-point performance against Seattle earlier in the season. She shot 10 of 15 (66.7%) from the floor, made a three-pointer, and was perfect on seven free throw attempts. A lot went right in that performance to make it possible, but it was achieved by a comfortable margin to hit the over.
Jewell Loyd Over 19.5 Points (-115)
It’s been an inconsistent recent stretch for Jewell Loyd as a scorer. She’s coming off a poor six-point display against the New York Liberty and was contained to 17 points by the Connecticut Sun. Before this two-game stretch, she had a three-game span averaging 25 points per game. Given the Mercury’s typical inability to contain dynamic backcourt threats, Loyd may be due for a “get right” game at Climate Pledge Arena. She tends to produce at home, averaging 20.9 points per game at 17 games in Seattle.
Kahleah Copper Scores 21+ Points (+100)
The Mercury has relied a lot on the scoring ability of Kahleah Copper. Interestingly enough, her scoring average goes from 20.9 points at home to being 23.2 points when playing away from Footprint Center. With a season average of 21.9 points and previously putting up 24.5 points per game in two prior matchups against the Storm this season, taking advantage of her being +100 to score 21 or more points is an attractive play. When considering how much Diana Taurasi and the rest of the Mercury has struggled to score against Seattle this season, the importance of Copper putting the ball in the bucket in this matchup remains very high.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is grant-afseth) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
