Chicago Sky vs. Seattle Storm Prediction, Preview and Odds - 8/27/21
It’s an interconference matchup on the parquet floor as a pair of WNBA teams lock up in the Pacific Northwest. The Chicago Sky are on the road as they travel to face the Seattle Storm Friday night. Chicago knocked off Atlanta 86-79 on the road Tuesday night in their most recent contest. Seattle was knocked off 76-70 on the road by Minnesota in their most recent contest Tuesday night. The Storm have won seven of the last 10 meetings between the teams but it was Chicago earning an 87-85 overtime win at home in the first meeting this season back on August 15. Will the Sky make it two straight wins over Seattle or can the Storm even things up?
Chicago Sky Looking for Road Victory
Chicago had lost two straight and four of their previous five games before knocking off Atlanta on the road in their most recent contest. The Sky enter this game 12-12 on the year and stand sixth in the WNBA playoff picture, two games clear of the ninth-place Sparks to remain on the right side of the cut line. In the game against Atlanta, Chicago used an early 13-2 run to take a 10-point lead and held Atlanta off the rest of the way. Chicago was up as many as 15 in the first half and didn’t let the Dream closer than three in the second half as they earned the victory. The Sky shot 51.5% from the field, including eight of 17 from three-point range, and held Atlanta to 41.8% shooting in the contest. Allie Quigley led Chicago with 21 points in the win.
The Sky is 4th in the league in scoring offense as they muster 82.8 points per contest this season. Chicago is sixth in rebounding (35.7 boards a night) and first in assists by dishing out 21.8 dimes a game. The Sky is average on defense as they are sixth in the league by allowing an average of 80.5 points a contest. Kahleah Copper is one of five players averaging in double figures for the team with 14.2 points plus 4.6 rebounds a night this season. Candace Parker (12.7 points, 8.6 boards), Astou Ndour-Fall (7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds) and Ruthy Hebard (7.1 points, 5.1 rebounds) are solid secondary options. The Sky can also look to Diamond DeShields (11.2 points), Courtney Vandersloot (11.4 points, 9.3 assists), Allie Quigley (14.6 points), Stefanie Dolson, Brittany Boyd-Jones, Azura Stevens, Natasha Mack and Stephanie Watts to contribute for coach James Wade. Chicago is 7th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 43.4% as a team. The Sky are in the middle of the pack in threes per game as they are tied for 5th with 7.1 per contest: they are 7th in three-point shooting at 34.3%. Chicago comes in first at the free throw line this season as they are shooting 85.5% at the stripe.
Seattle Storm Battling for Top Spot in WNBA Playoff Picture
Seattle dropped to 2-3 since the Olympic break as they were upended on the road by Minnesota in their previous contest Tuesday night. The Storm fell to 18-8 on the year and entered Thursday tied for second in the WNBA playoff picture, one game behind the Sun for the top spot. Against Minnesota, Seattle trailed by 11 after the opening quarter and never got back to even again. The Storm got within one on a couple of occasions in the fourth quarter but the Lynx had an answer each time. Seattle shot 37.8% from the field, including eight of 24 from three-point range, and held a 41-37 edge on the glass in the contest. Breanna Stewart finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds in the defeat to lead the Storm.
The Storm comes into this contest second in the league in scoring offense with an average of 85.9 points per game. Seattle is third in rebounding (37 boards per contest) and is second in the league in assists by dishing out 21.5 dimes per night this year. The Storm are 4th in scoring defense as they allow 80 points a game so far this year. Breanna Stewart leads the team with 20.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest. Jewell Loyd (18.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists) and Sue Bird (10.7 points, 5.5 assists) are solid secondary options. Coach Noelle Quinn has a solid group to work with as her team can get production from Katie Lou Samuelson, Jordin Canada, Ezi Magbegor, Stephanie Talbot, Kennedy Burke, Epiphanny Prince and Kiana Williams. The Storm are third in the league in field goal percentage as they convert 44.8% of their shots from the floor this year. Seattle is third in the league in three-point field goals made per game (nine) and first in three-point percentage as they knock down 38.7% percent from beyond the arc. The Storm are above average at the line, ranking third in the league by converting 83% of their chances. Mikiah Herbert Harrington is out for the year as she is pregnant.
Pick: Seattle Storm
Chicago won the first meeting coming out of the Olympic break in a game that the Storm rested Stewart and Bird, yet they needed overtime to pull out the victory. Playing at home, you have to think that Quinn will have her stars on the floor and ready to go here. Seattle is still right in the thick of the race for a top-two seed and that double-bye to the semifinals in the postseason. Chicago has put together some big offensive numbers this season and they are healthy at this point in time. The problem for the Sky is that they are facing a hungry Seattle team. Look for the Storm to prevail here and keep pressure on both Las Vegas and Connecticut here.
Total: Over
Chicago has seen the over hit in five of their last seven contests entering this one, including three of their five contests since the Olympic break. That includes a 196-point total that blew 34.5 points past the number in Saturday’s game with the Wings. They did come under the mark against the Dream Tuesday though that was only by three points. The Sky have seen the over post a 13-11 mark on the season in their games. Seattle had strung together three straight overs coming out of the Olympic break before falling 4.5 points short in their win Sunday over the Mystics and a hefty 20 points shy in their loss to Minnesota. The Storm have seen the under hit in 14 of their 26 games on the season after that contest. In the last nine meetings, the over is 5-3-1, including the first meeting this season exceeding the mark by 11.5 points. Look for Seattle to push the tempo here and go over the mark.