Portland Fire vs. Toronto Tempo WNBA preview and prediction

Three games are scheduled for Friday in the WNBA, one of which will include a matchup between the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ION, WNBA League Pass, and TSN.

My article will preview this game by including a brief overview of the current betting odds and a closer look at both teams, as well as my best bet for the game.

Portland Fire vs. Toronto Tempo WNBA Odds and Betting Trends

This game has essentially been labelled as a pick ’em on the WNBA odds. As it stands, Toronto has odds of +118 on the moneyline, while Portland has moneyline odds of -144.

In terms of the point spread, you can bet the Tempo +2.5 at -110, while betting Fire -2.5 carries a price of -110 as well. Further, the total in this game is set at 183.5 points, with each side taking back -110. 

Portland is 2-0 SU/ATS against Toronto this season, and the Fire are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games.

Portland Fire

Portland enters this game with a record of 15-20 and is currently in fifth place in the WNBA’s Western Conference. More importantly, the Fire are in ninth in the overall WNBA standings and are hot on the heels of the Dallas Wings, who control the eighth and final playoff seed.

While Portland is still within range to push for a playoff spot in their inaugural season, they have recently been inconsistent and are just 4-6 SU over their last 10 games. That said, they have still been fairly competitive, and as mentioned previously, are 7-3 ATS over their last 10 games.

Toronto Tempo

Toronto enters this game with a record of 10-25 and is currently in sixth place in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference. The Tempo are also in 13th place in the overall standings, but they have already been eliminated from the playoffs. To this point, the Tempo have lost 12 games in a row, the longest active losing streak in the league.

It also does not help that the Tempo’s leading scorer, Marina Mabrey, is currently dealing with a hamstring injury and looks unlikely to be available for this matchup with the Fire.

WNBA Prediction: Who will win Portland Fire vs. Toronto Tempo?

In the two previous meetings between these teams, Portland won both times. The first was a 99-80 win in Toronto, and the second was a 97-83 win in Portland.

Simply put, the Fire have dominated the Tempo this season, as shown by the fact that they won the two meetings by an average margin of 16.5 points per game. The Fire have averaged 98 points per game against the Tempo in these two meetings, and a similar result looks likely here, with the Tempo’s defence having consistently played poorly for weeks now. 

For that reason, backing the Portland Fire ML (-144) will be my best bet, and I’ll take them to win 90-85.