The Mystics are hosting the Storm on Sunday. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Washington is favored by 5.5 points and this game carries a total of 161.5 points.
Let’s get into my pick and prediction for this contest.
Mystics vs. Storm Preview
The Mystics and Storm meet Sunday for the third time this season after splitting two consecutive matchups in Seattle back in late May. This season, Washington is 10-10 and ranks 10th in net rating while Seattle is 6-18 and ranks 13th in net rating.
The Mystics are the worst rated offense in the league, but their defense is terrific, ranking third in rating and the club has been much better recently, winning five of it’s last eight. Washington is coming off a loss to the Valkyries this past Monday, but leading scorer Sonia Citron missed her second game in a row that night with a sore knee and she will be back in the lineup this evening.
Citron is averaging 18.6 PPG in her sophomore season and the Mystics’ net rating is a huge 12.0 points per 100 possessions better with her on the floor. The guard is coming off a career-high 32 points vs. the Fire, which was exactly two weeks ago. With all this rest in her favor, Citron should be a full go tonight and Washington is in a strong position to win on it’s home floor with her returning against this inconsistent Storm team.
After upsetting the Liberty and the Dream, Seattle has lost three of it’s past four. The Storm are a similar squad to the Mystics, as they are better defensively than offensively. The team ranks seventh in defensive rating and 13th in offensive rating.
Seattle is led by Natisha Hiedeman, Dominque Malonga and rookie Flau’Jae Johnson. The latter is the key to the Storm’s success, as when she scores 16 points or more, the team is 6-1. The 22-year-old struggles to produce consistently, though, as she has scored 11 points or less in three of her last seven. During this stretch, Johnson scored one point in 31 minutes vs. the Fire, who are the second-worst rated defense in the WNBA.
When the Storm and Mystics went head-to-head for back-to-back games back in May, Johnson scored 17 points in the win for Seattle, but just eight points in the loss for the club. So, what Johnson will show up tonight?
Well, with this game in Washington and the Mystics’ defense being one of the best units in the association, the volatile rookie feels likely to struggle, as do the Storm as a whole. Seattle is a league-worst 2-10 on the road, whereas Washington is 4-5 at home.
Mystics vs. Storm Pick, Best Bet
Citron returning is huge for the Mystics and it’s hard to have any confidence in the Storm on the road. Washington should win this game and it’s defense should give Seattle’s weak offense fits.
The Storm rank dead last in PPG on the road (76.3) and Seattle for under it’s 78.5-point team total is my favorite wager for this tilt.
