The New York Liberty and Portland Fire meet Tuesday in WNBA action at the Moda Center. Here’s a Fire vs. Liberty Prediction. This article will include a Fire vs. Liberty Pick.
New York Liberty Betting Preview
The New York Liberty look for another win after blasting the Sun and Mystics in their first two games. The Liberty look to start 3-0 for a third straight season.
The New York Liberty are averaging 102 points on 50 percent shooting and allowing 84 points on 40.5 percent shooting. Breanna Stewart is averaging 27 points and 3 assists, while Marine Johannes is averaging 21 points and 3 rebounds. Jonquel Jones is the third double-digit scorer, and Pauline Astier is dishing 5.5 assists. The New York Liberty are shooting 32.8 percent from beyond the arc and 83.1 percent from the free throw line. The New York Liberty are allowing 18.8 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 35.5 rebounds per game.
Portland Fire Betting Preview
The Portland Fire look for a win after losing their season opener to the Sky. The Fire lost by 15 points despite it being a one-point game with 10 minutes remaining.
The Portland Fire are averaging 83 points on 40.8 percent shooting and allowing 98 points on 47.8 percent shooting. Carla Leite is averaging 18 points and 3 assists, while Bridget Carleton is averaging 13 points and 1 rebound. Sarah Ashlee Barker is the third double-digit scorer, and Megan Gustafson is dishing out 1 assist. The Portland Fire are shooting 31 percent from beyond the arc and 80 percent from the free throw line. The Portland Fire are allowing 35.3 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 24 rebounds per game.
Why the Portland Fire will win
- The Liberty has lost four of their last five night games against Western Conference opponents.
- The Liberty has failed to cover the spread in seven of their last eight road games against teams that held a losing record.
Why the New York Liberty will win
- The Liberty has won each of their last 12 Tuesday games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Liberty has covered the spread in each of their last four games as road favorites after coming off overtime.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Liberty’s last eight games as favorites following a road win has gone UNDER the total points line.
Portland Fire Player Facts
- Luisa Geiselsoder was one of only three players to have made 6+ field goals without a miss in a game last season.
- Bridget Carleton ranked 4th in the league for plus-minus (+302) last season.
New York Liberty Player Facts
- Breanna Stewart scored 20+ points in three consecutive appearances—the longest active streak of any player in the league.
- Marine Johannes has hit 5+ three-pointers in two consecutive appearances—the longest active streak of any player in the league.
Matchup/League Facts
- The New York Liberty ranked 1st for opponent three-point percentage last season (31.5%).
- The New York Liberty ranked 1st for free throw percentage last season (83.7%).
Fire vs Liberty Injury Report
Kamiah Smalls is questionable for the Fire with a knee injury. Sutton is also questionable with a knee injury.
The Liberty will be without Sabrina Ionescu due to an ankle injury.
Fire vs Liberty Prediction
This is a lot of points and the Liberty just played an overtime game with the Mystics on Sunday. The Liberty has also failed to cover 9 of their last 10 games as a double-digit favorite. However, as I said in previous write-ups, the Fire are probably the least talented team in the WNBA. Even without Ionescu, the Liberty is a handful. At full strength, this is a complete mismatch with both teams on the opposite side of the field. I can’t get cute and expect the Fire to hang around. Give me the Liberty in a blowout.