Phoenix Mercury vs. Dallas Wings 8/12/22 WNBA Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Phoenix Mercury and Dallas Wings face off on Friday in a WNBA showdown at the Footprint Center. When these two teams faced off on June 25th it was the Mercury that secured the 83-72 victory. 

The Mercury come into this game with a 14-20 record overall, and they have lost four of their last five games. In the last game against the Minnesota Lynx, the defense gave up 86 points and that led to the nine-point defeat. The big question for the Mercury heading into this game is the status of Skylar Diggins-Smith who is dealing with an injury. Diana Taurasi has also been ruled out heading into this game. The Mercury are averaging 81.4 points, while their defense is giving up 84.5 points per game. The offense is ranked 7th in the league, while their defense is ranked 10th in the league. Tina Charles also isn’t wit the team anymore. So they might be without their top three scorers for this team. 

On the other side of this matchup is the Wings who sit with a 17-17 record overall, and they had won five games in a row before losing their last game against the New York Liberty. The defense struggled, giving up 91 points, and that led to the defeat. The Wings are averaging 82.2 points, while their defense is giving up 82.5 points per game. The offense is ranked 5th in the league, while their defense is ranked 7th in the league. Arike Ogunbowale is dealing with an injury and will be out through at least the first-round playoff series. Allisha Gray is having a big season, averaging 13.3 points while shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from behind the three-point line. 

Both of these teams are dealing with key injuries, but the Mercury have a lot more to play for right now. The Mercury were good through three quarters against the Lynx, they just fell off late. In this game, I expect them to play a solid four quarters, and they are going to get the job done here. Back the Mercury against the spread.