Mercury vs. Fever prediction and odds for Tuesday, Aug. 1 (Slow pace should lead to under)
By Peter Dewey
Two of the worst teams in the WNBA face off on Tuesday with the Indiana Fever hosting the Phoenix Mercury.
Indiana comes into this game on a four-game skid, winning just one of its last 10 games. Phoenix hasn’t been much better, losing three straight and seven of its last 10 games.
Both teams will be down key players in this matchup as Brittney Griner is listed as out for the Mercury and NaLyssa Smith (foot) is listed out for the Fever. That should hurt both teams on offense, and it’s a big reason why I’m looking to the total in this game.
With the playoffs looking unlikely for either squad, here’s how to bet on Tuesday night’s Mercury-Fever game:
Mercury vs. Fever odds, spread and total
Mercury vs. Fever prediction and pick
Something has to give in terms of who wins this game, as both of these teams are awful in this spot.
Phoenix comes into this game a dreadful 1-12 on the road, while the Fever are just 1-8 at home this season.
Because of those terrible numbers, I’m staying far away from betting on a side in this game.
Instead, let’s look to the total with the two slowest paced teams in the WNBA facing off.
The Mercury not only play at the slowest pace in the league, but they average the fewest points per game and are down their leading scorer – Griner – in this matchup.
The Fever (11th in pace) are just seventh in the league in points per game and won’t have the second-leading scorer in Smith.
Not great.
The Mercury have been inefficient on offense all season, ranking dead last in offensive rating. I expect both of these teams to struggle to find buckets, even though they also have the two worst defensive ratings in the league.
With a slowed down tempo and top scorers absent, the UNDER is the way to play this matchup.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.