Closing down tonight’s six-game WNBA slate, the Dallas Wings will face off with the Portland Fire.
Tonight will mark the second of three matchups between these two youthful teams. They last faced off on June 13th, which resulted in a tightly contested 84-83 win by the Fire.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the Wings enter as 5.5-point favorites and hold -240 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Fire hold +194 odds of pulling off the upset, with the game total set at 175.5.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction and pick for this Wings at Fire matchup.
Wings at Fire Preview
The Dallas Wings sit in fourth place in the WNBA with a 17-9 record on the year. They had a six-game winning streak snapped by the New York Liberty in their previous game during a 99-98 overtime thriller on Monday. They have won eight of their last 11 matchups leading into tonight. On the season overall, the Wings have gone 13-13 against the spread, and the game total has remained under in 14 of their 26 games played.
Injuries could be a factor in this game as Paige Bueckers is considered questionable for the matchup. She missed the previous game, and her injury tag has shifted from soreness to rest, with the initial issue stemming from a collision in which she hit her head on the court and was forced to leave the victory over the Sparks. Bueckers has cleared concussion protocol, but her status is worth monitoring up until tip-off as Dallas is dependent on her production of 20.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game. Alanna Smith is also questionable with a right leg injury.
Of the available players, Jessica Smith helps lead the production with 14.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Arike Ogunbowale adds 14.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, while first overall pick Azzi Fudd also averages in double figures with 13.3 points of her own. Maddy Siegrist, Awak Kuier, and Aziaha James also play key roles.
Dallas is scoring 89.8 points per game, which ranks fourth in the WNBA. The Wings also rank fourth in offensive rating, fourth in field-goal percentage, and eighth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 85.8 points per game against the Wings, which ranks sixth in the league. Dallas also ranks sixth in defensive rating, ninth in opponent field-goal percentage, and 11th in opponent three-point percentage.
The Portland Fire are off to an 11-15 start to the season, which slots them in ninth place in the WNBA standings. They are looking to bounce back from a loss to the Minnesota Lynx in the previous game and have lost six of their last nine. On the season overall, Portland has gone 13-13 against the spread, and the game total is 15-11 to the over/under.
Carla Leite headlines the production, posting averages of 15.5 points and 5.8 assists per game. Bridget Carleton adds 13.5 points and 3.8 rebounds, while Megan Gustafson contributes 12.2 points per game. Sug Sutton and Sarah Ashlee Barker also average in double figures, while Emily Engstler and Luisa Geiselsoder also play notable roles for Portland. Sania Feagin is the lone name on the injury report and will miss with a left knee injury.
The Fire are scoring 84.9 points per game this season, which ranks 10th among WNBA teams. They also rank 10th in offensive rating, eighth in field goal percentage, and sixth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 90.2 points per game against Portland, which ranks 13th. The Fire also ranks 13th in defensive rating, 12th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and sixth in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Wings at Fire Pick, Best Bet
The questionable label on Paige Bueckers provides some doubt on the outlook for this game. But it should be viewed as largely encouraging that Dallas still looked impressive without Bueckers in the previous game. They ultimately came up short in a 99-98 overtime loss to the New York Liberty, but led for 47% of the matchup and still largely performed at their expected offensive level. Even with the Liberty not playing to their high standard on the season, this is a result that should still be viewed favorably given the circumstances.
This matchup with Portland should provide an even clearer pathway to Dallas reaching their offensive ceiling. The Fire are allowing the third-most points per contest at 90.2 points per game and also rank 13th in defensive rating. They also rank dead last in rebounds per game and 14th in turnovers per game, which provides easy outlooks to easy scoring chances for the Wings. Dallas ranks sixth in rebounds per game, sixth in offensive rebounds per game, and fifth in turnovers forced while turning it over at the lowest rate in the league.
During the first matchup between these two teams, Dallas out-rebounded Portland 41-32 but shot just 39% from the field and 25% on three-point attempts. This marked the Wings’ sixth-worst efficiency in any game this season from both areas of the floor. Dallas has been in strong form since this point, winning eight of their last 11 and covering the spread in four of their past seven. In contrast, the Fire have lost six of their past nine.
Keep an eye on the injury report leading up to tip-off for the availability of Bueckers. But, in contrast to the stars of some other rosters, Dallas has done a nice job sticking to their identity when the UConn product has been forced to miss, although she provides an obvious offensive boost. Dallas has an advantage in too many notable margins to overlook, and they are playing at a high level of late. Expect the Wings to capitalize on the defensive issues of the Fire and have no trouble clearing the 5.5-point spread tonight.
