It’s been a fun opening week of the WNBA season as we keep it going with top picks and plays for Wednesday night’s action. There’s only one game on tap tonight, with Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever taking on the Seattle Storm. Let’s dive into top WNBA picks and best bets for this matchup as you enjoy the action. Note that all odds and betting lines are accurate as of this writing, but be sure to shop around for the best numbers.
Wednesday’s Best WNBA Bets
Indiana Fever @ Seattle Storm (-5.5) | O/U 165.5 (-110/-110)
Wednesday night features a matchup between two WNBA teams toward the bottom of the league standings right now. The Seattle Storm (1-3) host the Indiana Fever (0-4) as both squads look to get a much-needed win after a tough first week. Since it’s the only WNBA game on tap tonight, in addition to Caitlin Clark being in action, let’s dive in to see how to bet it.
The Storm have gotten off to a slow start after beginning the season among the league’s top championship contenders. Seattle has lost three of its first four contests, including Monday’s 9-point deficit to the Liberty. It’s taking time for offseason additions Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith to fully gel with holdovers Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor and develop into the super-team we expected.
Despite Seattle’s poor record thus far, it still boasts the league’s fourth-shortest odds to win the title. The Storm continue to be among the top-tier WNBA squads and the wins will come once they start clicking and face easier stretches of the schedule. On that note, they just took care of a weaker opponent at home on Sunday night with an 84-75 win over Washington.
This is a nice buy-low opportunity on the Storm because they are better than their current record and negative point differential. Loyd and Diggins-Smith have both been a bit cold shooting-wise, so there’s positive regression looming for Seattle’s star guard duo. Loyd is shooting 23.7% from the field and 15.8% from three so far, while Diggans-Smith is at 33.3% and 7.7%, respectively.
The Storm have also had to play the past two games without Ogwumike. The All-Star big is dealing with an ankle injury but should have a better chance at suiting up tonight after being a game-time decision on Monday. If she plays, Ogwumike can dominate against Indiana’s weaker frontcourt that’s been getting torched inside this year. If she sits, expect better shooting performances from both Loyd and Diggins-Smith than we’ve seen thus far.
As for Indiana, they’re averaging a league-low 75.3 PPG while allowing a league-high 93.3 PPG. The Fever quite literally has the worst offense and worst defense in the WNBA through one week with a negative 18-point differential. Three of their four losses have come by 11 points or more as well. It’s a tough stretch for Indiana to begin the season, and it could be like that all year for a rebuilding program.
Caitlin Clark is clearly an exciting rookie and could be a WNBA star for years to come. When it comes to team success at the pro level, though, Indiana is going through growing pains while trying to build up chemistry and find a consistent supporting cast around Clark. Opposing defenses are taking advantage by playing tight defense on Clark, especially beyond the arc, while sending double-teams and full-court presses on her to force others to beat them. It’s working so far, and we’ll likely see Seattle follow a similar defensive gameplan.
Take Seattle to cover the spread as the home favorite tonight. Indiana is 2-2 ATS but its two road losses were by 21 and 11 points. The Storm will also benefit from the homecourt advantage after playing the past three games on the road. Last year, Seattle started out 4-1 ATS at home to begin the season.
WNBA Pick: Seattle Storm -5.5 (-110)
