We’ve got a tank-off on Tuesday night. The Toronto Tempo and Chicago Sky have only two games left in their seasons before heading into uncertain winters. While wins and losses no longer matter, both sides have plenty of pride to play for, and young talents are trying to claim a role. That alone makes this a compelling game.
The Sky enter as 6.5-point home favorites with -230 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Tempo are +190 underdogs, with the game total set at 179.5 points.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction and pick for this Tempo-Sky matchup.
Tempo vs. Sky Preview
Matchups with the Sky have been a rare bright spot for the Tempo this season. They’re 2-0 against Chicago and 9-31 against the rest of the league. They’ve lost 18 of their last 19 games; Toronto sorely needs a win before the season ends. This feels like their best spot to get it.
Toronto’s problem is that a significant part of its winning formula is on the sidelines. Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey will be sidelined for the rest of the season, and they played crucial roles in their wins over the Sky. That duo combined for 44 points in the first win, a high-flying 111-104 win. Sykes’ defense and her 23 points were the key to an 85-68 win in the second matchup. With those two sidelined, a heavy burden falls on rookie Kiki Rice to run the offense.
So far, that’s been good. The former UCLA guard has scored double-digit points in 11 straight games; over that span, Rice has averaged 16.2 PPG and 4.7 APG, shooting 49/34/86 and committing only 1.9 turnovers per game. Though it hasn’t been enough to deliver them many wins, it’s a promising sign for the rookie’s future.
Chicago doesn’t have an easy task ahead. Missing Rickea Jackson and Skylar Diggins is nothing new; those two have been out for most of the season. But the injury report has grown longer: Azura Stevens, DiJonai Carrington, and Natasha Cloud are also ruled out for Tuesday’s contest. This skeleton crew has not performed well coming out of the World Cup break, as they’ve lost their two games by a combined 55 points.
So much rests on these rookie guards. Rice will face promising Sky rookie Sydney Taylor, Chicago’s second-half breakout star. Both have shown tough shot-making all season and will be key to breaking the inevitable offensive droughts in this game. It’s also worth watching Kamilla Cardoso, facing a Tempo team that is awfully light on size. Her scoring and rebounding could make a massive difference here.
Now that we know these two teams a bit better, who will take home the win?
Tempo vs. Sky Pick, Best Bet
With so many players injured and traded, these teams are hardly recognizable compared to the beginning of the season. This one truly feels like a toss-up despite all of the losing the Tempo have done, so I’ll take the value on the road team to sweep the season series and end their losing streak.
