New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu is starting to heat up. While that’s a good thing for New York and my Storm vs. Liberty predictions, it could be problematic for an injury-depleted Seattle Storm playing their second game in as many nights.
Ionescu will be the primary focus for my WNBA picks as I expect her and the Liberty to have a big night as heavy WNBA odds favorites on Monday, May 20.
Storm vs Liberty predictions
My best bet
Sabrina Ionescu Over 3.5 threes (-105 at DraftKings)
My analysis
The Seattle Storm are coming off a Sunday night battle against the Washington Mystics without superstar forward Nneka Ogwumike. They were victorious thanks to a strong bench effort and the play of guards Skylar Diggins-Smith and Jewell Loyd.
According to Storm head coach Noelle Quinn, Ogwumike’s status for tonight’s clash is still undecided. Quinn further stated, "much of our supporting cast, so to speak, is going to be important for the entire season but specifically tomorrow on the back-to-back. That group needs to give us good minutes and I know they will."
Injuries forced Quinn to play Diggins-Smith for more minutes than she would have liked, and playing consecutive nights means Quinn will rely on her bench again tonight when they meet the New York Liberty.
Seattle is a terrific defensive team, but one of its shortcomings is its 3-point defense. The Storm stop unit holds shooters to a seventh-best 36.7% shooting from downtown but on the second-most attempts. The Seattle reserves allow 45% from long range, which bodes well for Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu.
Ionescu started slowly but is heating up. She drained four from beyond the arc against the Indiana Fever on Saturday, and I expect her to come out firing against a tired Seattle defense and an even more exhausted Diggins-Smith. Ionescu attempts eight or more triples per night and will get plenty of looks against the Storm's half-court defense and additional opportunities in transition with Seattle's turnover issues (20.7 pg).
Ionescu is one of the best shooters in the game, playing against tired legs that already allow too many 3-point attempts, and she’s draining at least four of them tonight.
Storm vs Liberty same-game parlay (SGP)
Sabrina Ionescu 4+ threes
Jonquel Jones 10+ rebounds
Under 170
Ionescu may benefit from a porous Seattle 3-point defense, but so does Liberty forward Jonquel Jones.
Jones is a double-double threat, but her rebounding will be the key to fending off the Storm. She snagged a dozen in 25 minutes against Indiana, and she’ll see more minutes tonight against the best rebounding team in the game, likely without their leading rebounder.
Both franchises are tough to score on inside and allow fewer than 10 second-chance points per night. Seattle is the worst shooting team in the game, and tired legs paired against a fresher and solid Liberty defense makes the Under a good play.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Storm vs Liberty odds
Storm vs Liberty live odds
Get the latest Storm vs Liberty WNBA odds for tonight.
Storm vs Liberty opening odds
- Spread: Seattle +9.5 (-115) | New York -9.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: Seattle +390 | New York -525
- Over/Under: Over 171.5 (-110) | Under 171.5 (-110)
Storm vs Liberty spread and Over/Under analysis
- The public pounded every opening number on the Liberty from opening markets of -9.0 to -10.0.
- The move on the Liberty benefits Seattle backers as markets range from +10.5 (-110) and +11 (-105 to -112) from the nine-point opener.
- Markets opening as high as Over 171.5 (-110) dropped to 170 (-110), with many now trading Under 170.5 (-110).
Storm vs Liberty trend
The Under is 6-2 in the Storm's last eight games following an ATS win. Find more WNBA betting trends for Storm vs. Liberty.
Storm vs Liberty game info
| Location: | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY |
| Date: | Monday, May 20, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN3 |
Storm vs Liberty latest injuries
Storm: Nneka Ogwumike F (Questionable).
Liberty: None.
Find our latest WNBA injury reports.
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