There’s just one game on the Tuesday WNBA schedule this week, and it’s certainly not a premier matchup. In this one, the 20-9 Golden State Valkyries host the 10-19 Toronto Tempo in a game that could easily get out of hand given the direction these teams are trending in. Still, anything can happen after tip-off at 10 p.m. ET.
Here’s a betting preview, prediction and pick for this Tempo vs. Valkyries game courtesy of WNBA odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Tempo vs. Valkyries prediction, preview
It’s been a rough year for the Tempo, but that’s expected when you’re a brand-new expansion franchise in its first year of operation. The 10-19 record could probably worse, honestly, though a -7.2 NETRTG does rank second-to-last in the WNBA. There are positives to build on, though. For starters, the offense ranks eighth in OFFRTG and sixth in TS%, so the efficiency is a building block to use moving forward. Toronto sits eighth in scoring with 87.8 PPG, shooting 44.8% overall and 35.7% from deep, the latter of which ranks fourth in the league even with high volume. However, a lack of defense and rebounding has been the club’s downfall all season. They’re second-to-last in REB% (47.4%) and dead last in DEFRTG as well. When you can’t stop opponents from scoring and aren’t outpacing them in total possessions, you just won’t win a ton of games.
Britney Sykes played a key role when healthy with 20.1 points a night, but she remains sidelined due to her plantar fascia injury and is yet to return. In the meantime, Marina Mabrey is a clear star for this Toronto group, averaging a team-best 20.9 points per game and dishing out 3.7 dimes as well. Isabelle Harrison brings 13.2 points and a team-high 6.1 boards, while Nyara Sabally posts 12.0 points as well. Kiki Rice and Laura Juskaite also average double-digit points.
The Valkyries, though, are enjoying an excellent sophomore campaign at 20-9 after an awesome first year in the W last season. They have the third-best NETRTG in the league at +7.2 and are defensively the strongest unit out there, at least in terms of DEFRTG and opponent PPG (77.0), in which they rank first in both. While just eighth in REB% (49.3%) and fairly average in terms of blocks and steals, this group plays great team defense and has a scheme that clearly works. Offensively, Golden State leans on the perimeter game with a league-leading 30.6 3PA per game, shooting 35.2% on such attempts, sixth best. Just don’t ask them to finish close to the basket, as a 42.1% FG% is the worst in the WNBA. The Valks fall seventh in OFFRTG and fourth in AST/TO ratio, so they do play a pretty clean game otherwise.
There’s no true superstar scorer for the Valkyries, but Gabby Williams leads the way with 14.9 points per game. Janelle Salaun brings 13.2 points off the bench in a key role, sacrificing starter-caliber talent for the good of the team. Veronica Burton also provide 12.2 points and a team-high 5.5 dimes, too. Cecelia Zandalasini, Kayla Thornton and more also play key roles.
Tempo vs. Valkyries pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Valkyries as a strong 13.5-point favorite with -850 odds on the Moneyline. The Tempo are a +575 underdog to win outright with the game total set at 168.5.
Over the weekend, these teams clashed as Golden State won 96-79. The contending squad looked the part and blew the game open in the second half, outscoring Toronto 52-36 over the third and fourth quarters while making 48.3% of three-point attempts on the day overall. The Tempo do allow the third-most 3PA per game to opponents, but they’re seventh in opponent 3P% at 34.2%. Despite their defensive shortcomings, it’s unlikely they allow a repeat of such a dominant effort from distance by the Valkyries. The spread is wide in this game and just two fewer makes from deep could mean Golden State fails to cover at -13.5.
After meeting recently, these teams may have a better feel for each other here on Tuesday. The Tempo will almost certainly lose – they’re not the caliber of roster it takes to really compete every night, at least not yet – but they may be able to hang around within the spread. As long as the Valkyries don’t catch fire from beyond the arc in the same fashion as last time out, this should be a game in which Toronto can cover fairly comfortably.
