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Storm vs. Sky Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, August 9 (Take Advantage of This Soft First Half Total)

By Ben Heisler

Chicago guard Courtney Vandersloot celebrates a big shot for the first-place Sky.
Chicago guard Courtney Vandersloot celebrates a big shot for the first-place Sky. / WNBA Media
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A potential late round WNBA Playoffs matchup takes place in Chicago Tuesday night as the league-leading Sky (25-8) host the Seattle Storm (20-13) in their regular season home finale.

Chicago looks to go 3-1 on their final homestand and 14-4 on the season. Meanwhile, Seattle attempts to even their road record at .500 with a victory tonight.

A win tonight is critical for both sides in playoff positioning. The Sky can keep the Las Vegas Aces off their back for the top playoff spot, while Seattle still has a shot to move up to the 3-spot, and avoid the 5-seed with Washington just a half game behind.

Here are the odds for Tuesday evening's matchup over at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Storm vs. Sky Odds, Spread and Total

Spread:

  • Storm +5 (-110)
  • Sky -5 (-110)

Moneyline:

  • Storm +170
  • Sky -200

Total:

  • 164.5 (OVER -110 | UNDER -110)

Storm vs. Sky Prediction and Pick

For as dominant as Chicago is at home, the same can't be said for their against-the-spread (ATS) record in their building. The Sky are just 7-10-1 ATS at home, while the Storm have also struggled; going 5-9-1 ATS away from Seattle.

Both teams have played close, defensive-oriented games in each matchup this year, but as of late, both offenses are drastically better and everyone is healthy. So what's the best way to approach this matchup? In this case, the first half provides a significant edge.

For me, it involves the first half total. Chicago ranks just behind the Aces in first half offensive rating over their last five games at 113.7; second-best in the league. Seattle, known for their defensive prowess all season long ranks fourth.

In the second half, both teams' defenses pick up, their pace is longer, and their offensive rating goes down to the middle of the pack, yet the line doesn't account for that. Because of both teams' propensity to push the ball in the first 20 minutes, I'll look to take advantage of a soft line before we see a physical second half and far less scoring.

PICK: Storm vs. Sky 1st Half OVER 81.5 (-115)

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