The New York Liberty (2-0) and Portland Fire (0-1) meet in the WNBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 10:00 p.m. EDT at Moda Center in Portland, Ore. The game will be broadcast live on WWOR.
The Liberty are favored by -11.5 on the spread, with the over/under set at 173.5 (-110o / -110u). The Liberty are a -750 favorite to win outright, while the Fire are +490 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Liberty vs. Fire predictions and WNBA picks.
Liberty vs. Fire Odds, Pick
| Liberty Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11.5 -118 | 173.5 -110o / -110u | -750 |
| Fire Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11.5 -104 | 173.5 -110o / -110u | +490 |
- Liberty vs. Fire Spread: Liberty -11.5 (-118), Fire +11.5 (-104)
- Liberty vs. Fire Over/Under: 173.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Liberty vs. Fire Moneyline: Liberty -750, Fire +490
- Liberty vs. Fire Best Bet: Liberty -11.5 (-118)
Liberty vs. Fire Preview
The Liberty join the Valkyries as the WNBA’s only 2-0 teams entering Tuesday night.
This marks the first meeting for the championship favorites with the newly revived Fire, who dropped their season opener 98-83 to the Sky despite erasing a 17-point deficit. It was the league’s first game back in Oregon since 2002.
Portland hosts New York as the Liberty look to build off a dominant win over the Sun and an overtime survival of the Mystics.
Breanna Stewart has looked every bit like an MVP frontrunner to open the season, averaging 27 points and 9.5 rebounds in first-year coach Chris DeMarco’s system.
Stewart has carried New York offensively with Sabrina Ionescu (foot) and Satou Sabally (cyst) sidelined. Rebecca Allen (leg), Leonie Fiebich (overseas), and Raquel Carrera (overseas) have also yet to play.
Marine Johannes has been outstanding, scoring 17 and 25 points in New York’s first two games. Still, Action Pro’s top prop edge for this matchup is Johannes under 15.5 points (+100). Our projections have her at 11.62 points, creating a 37.1% edge.
Portland is led by Carla Leite, who scored 18 points in the opener, and expansion draft centerpiece Bridget Carleton. There’s talent here, but chemistry may take time.
That’s especially concerning against the Liberty’s frontcourt size. Even without several contributors, New York can throw Stewart, former MVP Jonquel Jones, and Han Xu at Portland. That trio ranges from 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-11.
That mismatch stood out in Portland’s first game, when Chicago center Kamilla Cardoso cruised to 22 points and 14 rebounds. The Fire were outrebounded 46-24 overall.
Through two games, the Liberty are averaging 102 points (third) while shooting 50% from the field (T-4th). They also lead the league in free throw percentage (83.1%). Defensively, New York is holding opponents to 40.5% shooting overall and just 18.8% from 3-point range.
Liberty vs. Fire Prediction
Even shorthanded, the 2024 champion Liberty remain one of the league’s most experienced and disciplined teams.
Portland wants to push tempo, but this group is still learning how to play together under Alex Sarama. The Fire have the WNBA’s second-youngest roster.
The talent gap is significant and, early in the season, continuity and experience tend to matter more. New York enters with a league-best +18 point-differential and should benefit from the wake-up call it received in Sunday’s overtime win at Washington.
Best Bet: Liberty -11.5 (-118)
