We have an interesting women’s basketball matchup on Friday night in the Western Conference as we have the Seattle Storm traveling to the Footprint Center to take on the Phoenix Mercury here. The Storm are sitting at 17-9 this season while the Mercury are struggling with an 11-16 record thus far.
This game is the third and final regular season matchup for them as they faced off in the first couple of games, with Phoenix taking both games 97-77 at home on May 11 and 69-64 on the road on May 14. In order to make the right pick here, it’s important to look at previous Storm vs. Mercury Betting Stats.
Seattle Storm vs. Phoenix Mercury Stats
Storm Stats Analysis
Seattle is a very unselfish team this season as they are second in the WNBA in terms of assists (22 per game) as a team and get some open looks behind the arc as they are shooting 35.4 percent as a unit.
That is not to take away from their size down low, as they are tied for the WNBA lead with 4.6 blocks per game as a team as well. They are one of the best teams currently in the sport and would love to continue to challenge for the top spot in the league.
Breanna Stewart a WNBA MVP Contender
The Storm are being led by WNBA MVP contender Breanna Stewart this season. She leads the league with 21.2 points per game while also averaging seven rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and a block per game, so she is making her impact on the court whenever she is playing.
Another impactful player is center Ezi Magbegor, who is averaging 11.3 points per game but also is a beast defensively as she’s putting up 1.2 steals and a league-leading 2.3 blocks per game.
Mercury Stats Analysis
The Phoenix Mercury are trying to find a way to crack the top eight teams in the league and make it to the postseason and have done that on the back of their offense.
As a team, they are tied with the Minnesota Lynx for fourth with 82.7 points per game. Just like Seattle, they are tied for the league lead with 4.6 blocks per game, making it a little more difficult in the paint for players to drive to the basket.
Mercury Offense
The Mercury are led offensively by guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, who is currently fourth in the WNBA in scoring as she is averaging 19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.8 steals (tied for second in the WNBA), and 0.9 blocks per game.
It definitely helps to have someone like Diana Taurasi being able to hit three-point shots as she has 79, which is second in the sport. Defensively, forward Brianna Turner has been doing well as she is averaging 7.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game so far.
Matchup Betting Trends
- Seattle is 1-5 against the spread in their last six games against Phoenix
- Seattle is 6-15 against the spread in their last 21 road games
- Seattle is 6-20 against the spread in their last 26 games against Western Conference opponents
- Seattle is 1-5 against the spread in their last six Friday games
- Phoenix is 2-0 this season against Seattle
- Phoenix is 5-4 in their previous nine games
Storm vs. Mercury Betting Prediction
WNBA odds can be a little more difficult than typical NBA odds because of the lack of attention to their games in the mainstream.
As of this writing, the Seattle Storm are a six-point road favorite as well as being -250 on the moneyline, while the Phoenix Mercury are underdogs at +215 to win at home here.
Who to Bet On?
This game is going to be a little bit closer than people want to believe, but the scoring capabilities that the Mercury show should keep them alive and potentially pull off the upset entirely with Skylar Diggins-Smith leading the charge and canceling out what Breanna Stewart is able to produce on the floor.
All in all, go with the Phoenix Mercury to cover the six-point spread as your WNBA picks. Basketball betting can be a little tricky, but the Mercury seems to have the Storm’s number this season.
Phoenix is on the brink of a playoff spot and has a chance to make a push for that eighth seed, and dominating a top contender will definitely help that out.
WNBA Pick: Mercury +5.5 (-110)
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