Opening up Saturday’s three-game WNBA slate, the Seattle Storm will visit the Toronto Tempo. This is the second matchup between the squads this season, with Toronto picking up an 86-73 victory on May 13.

For the rematch, the Tempo enters as a 4.5-point favorite with -175 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Storm is a +145 underdog, with the game total set at 168.5 points.

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

Storm at Tempo Preview

After finishing last season with the seventh-best record at 23-21, the Seattle Storm launched into a rebuild ahead of this season. Top scorers Nneka Ogwumike, Gabby Williams, Skylar Diggins, Erica Wheeler and Brittney Sykes all left in free agency, leaving Seattle without 82.2% of last year’s scoring production. The Storm is off to a 3-5 start to the season, with its three wins coming against the Sun (twice) and the Mystics. Seattle is 4-4 against the spread, and the game total has gone under in five of the eight games.

Dominique Malonga headlines the production, averaging 16 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. But Malonga has been sidelined for five straight games due to the concussion protocol. Natisha Hiedeman adds 13 points and 3.8 assists, while Flau’jae Johnson is off to a strong start to her rookie season with 12 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Zia Cookie and Jade Melbourne each average in double figures, while Awa Fam and Stefanie Dolson also play key roles.

The Storm is scoring 79.5 points per game, ranking 14th among the 15 WNBA teams. Seattle also ranks 14th in offensive rating, 13th in field-goal percentage, 10th in three-point volume, and eighth in three-point efficiency. Defensively, opponents are scoring 81.3 points per game, which is the second-best rate in the league. The Storm also ranks fifth in defensive rating, fourth in opponent field-goal percentage, and third in opponent three-point percentage.

In its inaugural WNBA season, the Toronto Tempo is off to a 4-4 start. The squad has produced victories over the Storm, Sparks, Mercury, and Sky, while coming up short against the Mystics, Sparks, Lynx, and Fire. On the season, the Tempo has gone 5-3 against the spread, with the game total going over in five of their eight games.

Brittney Sykes headlines the production, averaging 20.5 points, 4.4 assists, and four rebounds per contest. Marina Mabrey adds 18.8 points, four rebounds, and 3.5 assists, while Kiki Rice and Nyara Sabally also average in double figures. Laura Juskaite and Maria Conde also play notable roles.

As a team, the Tempo is scoring 89.1 points per game, which ranks fifth in the WNBA. Toronto also ranks third in offensive rating, attempts the most three-pointers in the league, and ranks ninth in perimeter efficiency. Defensively, opponents are scoring 91.1 points per game against the Tempo, which is the second-worst rate in the league. The Tempo also ranks 14th in defensive rating and allows the league’s worst opponent field-goal percentage.

Storm at Tempo Pick, Best Bet

The Seattle Storm flipped a page to a new era entering this season, and the initial returns have been fairly concerning. While it was largely expected that Seattle would take a step back coming into the season, they have had major issues on both sides of the ball to start the year.

During the first matchup between these teams, Toronto cruised to an 86-73 victory. The Tempo led for 77% of the matchup, scored 26 points off turnovers, and won the rebounding battle, 33-28. Turnovers have not been near the top of the list of issues for the Storm on the season, but the Tempo were able to capitalize on these opportunities, which swung the game in a major way.

It is worth keeping an eye on the injury report, as the Storm’s outlook has notably changed since Dominique Malonga went down with a concussion. She has missed the past five games and, while her outlook is as positive as it has been across this stretch, Malonga’s availability remains up in the air for the Saturday matinee. Last year’s All-Rookie team member led the Storm with 21 points and seven rebounds in the first matchup.

However, Seattle’s issues have run deeper than just Malonga getting healthy. The Storm is coming off a concerning 78-64 loss to the Mystics in the previous game and has failed to crack 80 points in six of its eight games. This is a problem for a Tempo team built with an offensive-minded identity, playing at a high pace and scoring at an impressive clip.

Expect this to be the defining story of this matchup, with Toronto putting up points at a rate Seattle cannot match. I am officially hitting the panic button surrounding the Storm’s outlook and backing the Tempo to cover the 4.5-point spread. Toronto did not have much trouble setting the pace in the first matchup and is coming off a season-high 111-point performance against the Sky. Buckle up for the Tempo to score the ball at a high clip and gradually put the Storm away by more than the 4.5-point margin.

Best Bet: Toronto Tempo -4.5 Points (-110)