Minnesota Lynx v. Toronto Tempo Odds: WNBA Preview and Prediction
The Lynx, owners of the WNBA’s best record at 23-6, look to extend their current win streak to a new season-high of nine games while also sweeping the three-game season series with the expansion Tempo.
Minnesota stayed hot on Tuesday with a 100-93 victory at home over the Tempo. Rookie-of-the-Year favourite Olivia Miles had 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds as the Lynx shot 54% (14-for-25) from three-point land.
All-Star Marina Mabrey had 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists to lead Toronto, which has lost four straight and eight of nine to fall five games back of Washington for the eighth and final playoff spot.
Minnesota Lynx vs. Toronto Tempo WNBA Odds and Betting Trends
The Lynx are -11.5 road favourites with a -700 money line. On the other side, Toronto’s money line is at +500.
Minnesota is a league-best 12-2 away from home, winning three straight and seven of eight on the road. However, only one of those wins was by more than 11.5 points; the Lynx are 0-6 against the spread lately.
The over/under for this contest is 188.5. The Lynx have played to the over in six of seven, while Toronto has played to the over in five of six.
Minnesota Lynx
Kayla McBride added 18 points while going four-of-seven from long distance on Tuesday. Napheesa Collier, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and MVP runner-up, had 15 points and six rebounds in just her second game back.
All-Star Natasha Howard added 13 points and six rebounds while Belgian rookie Antonia Delaere went four-of-five from long range and totalled 12 points – one short of her career high and just the third time she reached double digits this season.
The Lynx’s bench outscored Toronto’s 25-11. As the Tempo continues to be shorthanded, look for this to be an area of strength again tonight for Minnesota.
Toronto Tempo
Overlooked in Tuesday night’s defeat was the appearance of rookie Kiki Rice. The rookie out of UCLA scored just four points on one-of-six shooting in 17 minutes, but it was her first game action in nearly eight weeks.
Rice averaged 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 10 games as Toronto began its inaugural season with a 5-5 record. Rice has been sidelined since suffering a Grade 3 left ankle sprain against New York on June 3rd; the Tempo lost that game and proceeded to drop 11 of the next 15 contests without her.
The rookie’s return is just part of the solution. Valuable reserves Nyara Sabally (11.7 ppg, 4.8 REB) and Isabelle Harrison (13.8 ppg, 6.4 REB) both missed Tuesday’s contest and are questionable this evening.
It doesn’t end there. The biggest absence continues to be Brittney Sykes (21.6 ppg), who was leading the team in scoring before being sidelined in mid-June with plantar fasciitis. She is expected to miss at least a few more games.
WNBA Prediction: Who will win Lynx vs. Tempo?
The Lynx template recently has been obvious. They’re doing what it takes to win games, but they’re not blowing teams out. That trend should play out again this evening.
Look for Minnesota to again reach triple-digits against Toronto’s 14th-ranked scoring defence. On the other end, the Lynx have allowed an average of 90.1 points in the past 10 games.
Take Minnesota tonight, 101-91.