The New York Liberty and Seattle Storm tip off the WNBA regular season Saturday at noon ET at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the league’s bubble site, or “Wubble” – which the players have been calling it. We analyze the Liberty-Storm WNBA betting odds and lines, with betting advice and tips around the matchup.
The Storm have picked up five consecutive victories in their head-to-head series vs. the Liberty. New York’s last win in the series was way back on July 6, 2017. In addition to going 5-0 straight up (SU) vs. the Liberty, the Storm are 4-1 against the spread (ATS) during the stretch. The Under has also cashed in five of the previous six meetings.
Liberty vs. Storm: By the Numbers
- We’ll see the long-anticipated debut of Liberty rookie G Sabrina Ionescu, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. She was the first player in NCAA history to post at least 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career assists while at the University of Oregon.
- The Storm will be without coach Dan Hughes, who is avoiding the bubble since a medical assessment diagnosed him a high risk if he contracted the coronavirus. He missed time last season due to cancer treatments. Assistant Gary Kloppenburg will step in and serve as the head coach.
- The Storm (+400) are among the favorites to win the 2020 WNBA Championship, sharing the second-best odds with the Los Angeles Sparks and just behind the defending champion Washington Mystics (+250). The Liberty (+2500) are considered a long shot – only three teams have worse odds.
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Liberty vs. Storm: Key injuries
Liberty
- G Rebecca Allen opted out of the bubble due to COVID-19 risks.
- G Asia Durr opted out due to COVID-19 risks.
- F Megan Walker (COVID-19 concerrns) out.
Liberty vs. Storm: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
WNBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Saturday at 10:35 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Storm 77, Liberty 73
Moneyline (ML)
The Liberty (+450) are an intriguing play as underdogs, but the Storm (-625) are still the gold standard in the Western Conference, and perhaps all of the WNBA.
PASS on the lack of value.
Against the spread (ATS)
The spread is -10.5 for Seattle (-110), and with their head coach leading the way, perhaps NEW YORK (+10.5, -110) is able to keep it fairly close.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 153.5 (-110) has been a regular happening when these two teams get together. The Liberty should have a nice infusion of offense with Ionescu, but take the Under until further notice.
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