Tipping off as part of tonight’s three-game WNBA slate, the Toronto Tempo take on the Connecticut Sun. This is the second matchup between these two teams this season. During the first matchup, the Tempo picked up a 106-102 win in overtime, which took place on June 10.

For the rematch tonight, the Tempo enter as a narrow 1.5-point favorite with -125 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Sun holds +105 odds of pulling off the upset, with the game total set at 167.5 points.

Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Tempo at Sun matchup.

Tempo at Sun Preview

The Toronto Tempo are off to a 7-8 start to the season, entering this matchup coming off three consecutive losses. Their last win came against this Sun team, and they have cooled off a bit from their strong start to the year. On the season thus far, Toronto has gone 8-7 against the spread, and the game total has gone over in 10 of the 15 games played.

Brittney Sykes headlines the production, averaging 20.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per contest. Unfortunately, Sykes is listed as out for tonight’s matchup due to a left foot injury. Kiki Rice will join her on the sideline, while Nyara Sabally is considered questionable with a hamstring injury. Marina Mabrey is the next leading scorer, posting averages of 17.9 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds. Laura Juskaite and Maria Conde also play notable roles.

As a team, the Tempo are scoring 88.8 points per game, which ranks fifth in the WNBA. Toronto also ranks eighth in offensive rating, 10th in field goal percentage, and eighth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are averaging 91.3 points per game against the Tempo, ranking last in the WNBA. The Tempo also ranks 14th in defensive rating, 13th in opponent field goal percentage, and fifth in opponent three-point percentage.

The Connecticut Sun are 2-14 on the season and enter tonight on a six-game losing streak. Their pair of wins have come against the Seattle Storm and the Los Angeles Sparks this year. On the season overall, Connecticut is 7-9 against the spread, and the game total has gone over in nine of the 16 games played.

Aneesah Morrow headlines the production, posting averages of 11.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Brittney Griner has battled injuries, but contributes 11.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while Leila Lacan has also missed some time but pitches in 11.3 points and 5.0 assists per contest. Aaliyah Edwards is the lone other player to average in double figures, with 10.3 points per game. Diamond Miller and Saniya Rivers also play key roles, while Hailey Van Lith is the lone player listed on the injury report and will miss tonight due to an ankle injury.

As a team, the Sun are scoring 78.1 points per game, which ranks 14th in the league. Connecticut also ranks last in offensive rating, 13th in field goal percentage, and last in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 89.1 points per game against the Sun, which ranks 13th in the league. They also rank 12th in defensive rating, 14th in opponent field goal percentage, and 11th in opponent three-point percentage.

Tempo at Sun Pick, Best Bet

During the first matchup between these two teams, Toronto edged out the Sun in a 106-102 overtime victory. It was a come-from-behind effort by the Tempo, with the Sun leading for 72% of the game and extending the gap to as many as 14 points. Connecticut also out-rebounded Toronto 42-28.

The outlook is a bit different for tonight’s game, with Brittney Sykes and Kiki Rice each set to miss while Nyara Sabally’s status is also in doubt. Toronto has built its identity by leaning on its offensive firepower to outscore teams. But taking away its top offensive engine and possibly three of their top four scorers due to injury changes this equation quite a bit.

Neither of these teams have deep postseason expectations, and the odds Connecticut even makes it are marginal. Both are looking to snap losing streaks and have plenty of work to do internally on the roster to climb into more relevant standings. But someone has to win tonight’s matchup, and I am backing the Connecticut Sun to pick up their third win of the season.

Toronto is coming off a one-point loss to the Washington Mystics, a 25-point loss to the Atlanta Dream, and a 22-point loss to the Indiana Fever across their past three games. Even in the previous matchup between these two teams, Connecticut controlled the matchup for most of the game. The Sun has the interior bodies to dominate the rebounding matchup once again, and this will especially be the case with the missing players on the Tempo. Toronto has one of the worst defenses in the league, and this will help aid the Sun’s scoring struggles.

Connecticut does not have much of a track record for winning. But health is a factor, and the interior production by the Sun is the clearest route to scoring for either side tonight. Brittney Griner headlines this with 7.0 attempts per game in the paint. With no player on the Tempo roster over 6-foot-5, expect Griner to set the tone on the interior and for the Sun to put forth plenty of points in the paint. Don’t expect this to be one of the better WNBA games you have consumed, but this is a great chance for the Sun to pick up a win, and I am backing them to take advantage of their shorthanded opponents tonight.

Best Bet: Connecticut Sun Moneyline (+105)