The Toronto Tempo (11-27) and Phoenix Mercury (13-25) meet in the WNBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 10:00 p.m. EDT at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz. The game will be broadcast live on TSN.
The Mercury are favored by -9.5 on the spread, with the over/under set at 174.5 (-110o / -110u). The Mercury are a -395 favorite to win outright, while the Tempo are +310 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Tempo vs. Mercury predictions and WNBA picks.
Tempo vs. Mercury Odds, Pick
| Tempo Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -115 | 174.5 -110o / -110u | +310 |
| Mercury Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -105 | 174.5 -110o / -110u | -395 |
- Tempo vs. Mercury Spread: +9.5 (-115), -9.5 (-105)
- Tempo vs. Mercury Over/Under: 174.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Tempo vs. Mercury Moneyline: Tempo +310, Mercury -395
- Tempo vs. Mercury Best Bet: Alyssa Thomas Over 7.5 Rebounds (-132, DraftKings)
Tempo vs. Mercury Preview
Phoenix hosts Toronto in a matchup between two teams playing out a lost season, but Alyssa Thomas has continued to put together one of the most complete individual campaigns in the league regardless of the standings. She leads the Mercury in both rebounding and assists, and her all-around production has kept Phoenix competitive on a nightly basis even as the team's overall record has slipped below .500.
Kahleah Copper remains the Mercury's leading scorer, but it's Thomas who dictates the pace and physicality of Phoenix's game on both ends of the floor.
Thomas's season averages sit at 7.5 rebounds a night, and she's been trending well above even that mark lately.
She just posted an 11-point, 16-rebound, 10-assist triple-double against Atlanta on August 22, nearly matched it days later with a 17-point, 11-rebound, 9-assist near-triple-double against Portland, and has grabbed at least six rebounds in each of her last four appearances and in 15 of her last 16 games overall. Across her last five outings, she's averaging 8.2 rebounds a night, comfortably clear of tonight's line.
Tempo vs. Mercury Prediction
The floor here is what makes this pick strong. Thomas isn't just capable of big rebounding nights; she's been remarkably consistent about clearing this exact number, missing the six-rebound mark just once in her last 16 games and posting multiple double-digit rebounding performances in her last two outings alone.
Her game is built on physicality and effort on the glass as much as scoring or playmaking, and that part of her production has shown no signs of slowing down as the season winds down.
Toronto doesn't offer much reason to expect that to change tonight. The Tempo have struggled on the defensive glass for stretches of the season. A versatile, high-usage forward like Thomas, who spends possessions crashing the boards on both ends as a key part of Phoenix's offense and transition game, is exactly the type of player positioned to take advantage.
Given her recent floor of six-plus rebounds in nearly every appearance and an average north of eight over her last five games, the over carries strong value at this line.
If you want to lay less juice, the upside is there for her to reach nine rebounds.
Best Bet: Alyssa Thomas Over 7.5 Rebounds (-132, DraftKings)
