Toronto's injuries and coaching absence create value on the spread and player props rather than the pricey Aces moneyline
The WNBA’s Toronto Tempo are in tough tonight at home (8 p.m. EST, Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto), hosting the Las Vegas Aces, since the Aces enter the game at 17-7, while Toronto is 10-15.
The Aces have been elite on the road this season, going 10-2. That’s one of the reasons they are such heavy favourites tonight.
In basketball betting at Betway, Las Vegas is -600 on the Moneyline, Toronto +425. The Spread is Tempo +10.5 (-105), the Aces -10.5 (-115). The Total is 181.5 (Over is -110, Under is -110).
That big spread isn’t just because the Aces are title contenders, currently sitting third in the WNBA’s Western Conference.
The Tempo are short-handed in a big way, missing several key players, led by guard Brittney Sykes, guard Kiki Rice, forward Nyara Sabally, depleting their depth against one of the WNBA’s deepest teams in the Aces.
Plus, Toronto is going to be without their head coach, Sandy Brondello, suspended one game by the WNBA without pay for an “inappropriate comment” she made during Friday’s game against the Atlanta Dream. Brondello made a comment during the game about Angel Reese that could be seen as derogatory towards Black people. Brondello said that wasn’t her intention, adding that what she said was in frustration over what she felt was a lack of referee calls against Reese, and later apologized to the Atlanta player.
“The WNBA expects all coaches and team personnel to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and respect that are fundamental to our league,” the WNBA said in a statement.
So, for tonight, that means assistant coaches will run the bench for the Tempo.
The Tempo will try to match up against 6-foot-4 A’ja Wilson, one of the toughest players in the WNBA to cover, averaging 25.5 points and 9.8 rebounds, to lead her team. With the injuries, Toronto already doesn’t have much size to handle her.
The Tempo’s best shot tonight is guard Mabrina Mabrey, who is averaging 21.3 points this season, along with 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Mabrey was just named to the all-star team.
With all those challenges the Tempo have on their plate, the smarter play is to take Las Vegas -10.5, since they should dominate. The spread also offers better value than the Moneyline, which is too expensive to justify.
A good prop is Wilson Over 26.5 points (-120) against Toronto’s injury-depleted frontcourt. On paper, the Tempo don’t have many answers inside for her tonight.
Mabrey 20+ points (-275) is also a solid pick. If Toronto falls behind, which is likely, she’ll once again carry much of the offensive load and should see a high usage rate.
While that won-loss record doesn’t reflect it, the Tempo’s first season has been a success, according to many barometers. The team has been competitive on a nightly basis. Depth and experience have been the big factors, which have led to breakdowns later in games. That explains the record.
