Storm vs Aces: WNBA Odds, Expert Picks (Wednesday, June 19)
Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Pictured: A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces.
Storm vs Aces Odds
| Storm Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+6 -108 | 171 -110o / -110u | +225 |
| Aces Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-6 -112 | 171 -110o / -110u | -290 |
Two of the better teams in the Western Conference will wrap up WNBA action Wednesday night, as the Seattle Storm make the trek to Nevada to take on the Las Vegas Aces.
For the Storm, this game represents a chance to put more distance between them and the team just behind them in the standings. For the defending champ Aces, however, it's an opportunity to make up some ground after sputtering in defense of their title.
Wednesday's game will not lack for star power and figures to be a good one. Let's dive into the Storm vs. Aces odds and make a pick and prediction in our WNBA betting preview for Wednesday, June 19.
Seattle Storm
The Storm followed a six-game winning streak with losses in two of their next four games, the most recent being a defeat on the road against the Mercury.
Their recent "slump" has seen their record fall to 9-5, though three of those defeats are to Minnesota. So, it's not like the team is losing games it shouldn't.
A big part of Seattle's success is its balance on offense, with four players averaging more than 13 points per game. The Storm are a veteran team led by Jewell Loyd, who paced the league in scoring last year and is averaging 19.8 points per game this season. Along her side, Nneka Ogwumike is chipping in 17.8.
In her first year with the team, Skylar Diggins-Smith is scoring 15.3 per outing, and while Ezi Magbegor ranks fourth in scoring, she leads the Storm with 9.4 rebounds per outing.
In all, Seattle has the fourth-best scoring offense in the league, doing most of its damage from inside the arc. It makes roughly six 3s per game, which is more than just three other teams.
The Storm are solid on the other end of the floor, where they also rank fourth in points against. They allow teams to shoot just 41.2% from the field, which is the third-best mark in the W.
In other words, it's fair to say the Storm are a balanced team that has plenty of firepower on the offensive end of the floor while boasting the ability to make life difficult for opponents on the other end.
With their losses coming to teams that are either the two best in the league (Liberty and Lynx) or one that is finally healthy and surging (Mercury) shows they don't suffer from letdowns against worse opponents.
Las Vegas Aces
The Aces had high expectations coming into this season, and why shouldn't they have? They brought back the bulk of a team that just won the title and still had arguably the best player in the league in A'ja Wilson.
Thus far, Wilson has been every bit as dominant as expected, averaging a league-best 28 points per game to go along with 11.5 rebounds, which is also tops. Her 2.5 blocked shots per game are second, and she's averaging 1.9 steals per contest.
Kelsey Plum comes in at 18.8 points with Jackie Young at 17, giving the Aces three of the league's top 10 scorers.
So, what's the problem?
Well, the team has been without star point guard Chelsea Gray all season. However, she's expected to suit up Wednesday night, so the team may have the proverbial "ace up their sleeve" for this game (apologies for the pun).
Adding to the offense may not be the solution, though. The Aces come into this game having lost four of their last five games in large part because of their defensive struggles.
Through 12 games, they're allowing 85.7 points per outing, which is the third-worst mark in the league. Opponents are making nearly 10 3-point shots per game against Vegas. Its perimeter defense was most recently taken advantage of by the Liberty, who made 12-of-28 attempts from beyond the arc.
Storm vs Aces
Betting Pick & Prediction
This figures to be a fun matchup. Given that these teams are No. 1 and No. 2 in the league in offensive pace, it figures to be a higher-scoring affair — or at least one with plenty of shot attempts.
The question is whether or not Las Vegas' stars will be enough to counter Seattle's balance and depth.
Interestingly enough, DraftKings expects the Aces to win this game, with Vegas giving Seattle six points. Is it not wanting to bet against Wilson, who is arguably the best player in the league? Maybe the return of Gray is expected to provide a boost, as she hasn't played since suffering a lower left leg injury during Game 3 of last year's Finals.
Everything is setting up for the Aces to look more like the team that won last year's title than the one that has sputtered along here early in the season. Now healthy, they have the kind of roster that can give Seattle trouble.
Pick: Aces -6 · Over 169.5
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