ATLANTA DREAM VS. SEATTLE  STORM EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — August 16, 2024

ATLANTA DREAM VS. SEATTLE  STORM EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — August 16, 2024 — Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our WNBA coverage here at Godzilla Wins. One of the games on tap from Friday’s slate features the Atlanta Dream (7-17 SU, 12-12 ATS) hosting the Seattle Storm (17-8 SU, 15-10 ATS).

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

When: Friday, August 16, 2024 @ 7:30 PM ET

Where: Gateway Center Arena, College Park, GA

TV: ION

Atlanta Dream vs. Seattle Storm Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Atlanta Dream vs. Seattle Storm – In-Season Stats & Betting Trends

The Dream posted seven wins through their first 16 contests. Since that respectable start, though, their season has turned into a nightmare. They have dropped each of their last nine contests and trail the Chicago Sky by three games for the No. 8 spot in the league playoff race. In their recent 86-79 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus scored a team-high 16 points and collected five rebounds. She shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.

Rhyne Howard added 15 points and nine rebounds, and Tina Charles contributed 12 points and four boards. Atlanta held a slim four-point advantage heading into the final frame. However, Minnesota took control of the game in the final period, outscoring Atlanta by a 30-19 margin, which marked its highest-scoring quarter of the season.

On the other side of the spectrum, the Storm have bounced back from an 11-win season in 2023. They enter this tilt riding the wave of a three-game winning streak and lead the Las Vegas Aces by a half-game for the fourth spot in the playoff race. In the team’s 89-83 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on July 16, Jewell Loyd led a quartet of players who reached double figures. She finished with a game-high 30 points, six rebounds, and seven assists on 8-of-18 shooting from the floor and 3-of-10 from distance.

Nneka Ogwumike also turned in a solid performance. Her final stat line included 23 points, 10 rebounds, six steals, and four assists. It is also worth mentioning that Ogwumike moved into 12th place on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list. The Sparks led 73-71 at the 6:29 mark in the fourth quarter. Seattle took control of the game, though, reeling off 11 unanswered points en route to its eighth victory in the team’s last 10 games.

Now that we have set the stage for this matchup let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

The Spread

The Dream opened as a 6.5-point underdog, but the line has risen slightly to seven points at the time of this writing (per OddShark.com). Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season.

• The Dream are 5-1 ATS in their last six games.
• In its last 18 home games against Seattle, Atlanta is 12-6 against the spread.
• Meanwhile, the Storm are 15-8 ATS in their last 23 outings.
• Seattle is 6-2 ATS in its last eight contests against Eastern Conference opponents.
• In their last 13 matchups against teams with a losing record,  the Storm are 9-4 against the spread.

Prediction: Seattle Storm (-7)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 158.5 points (per Bet365.com). Here is why going with the “under” is the smart choice.

• The total has gone UNDER four times in the Dream’s last five contests.
• The UNDER total is 5-2 in Atlanta’s last seven matchups against Western Conference opponents.
• The total has gone UNDER in each of the last five meetings between these two teams.
• The UNDER total has cashed in four times in Seattle’s last five road games against Atlanta.

Prediction: UNDER 158.5 points

Player Prop Bet

Allisha Gray is the Dream’s top scorer. Given that fact, she is the key player to watch for the home team. She currently has +100 odds of scoring more than 14.5 points and -130 odds of finishing with less than 14.5 points (via Bet365.com).

Here is a look at how her numbers stack up against the projected points total for this matchup.

• On the season, Gray is putting up 15.5 points per game.
• In the previous matchup against Seattle this season, Gray scored 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the floor, and she missed all four of 3-point  attempts.
• Gray has played against Western Conference teams 11 times this season, averaging 15.2 points per outing in those contests.
• In 11 home games, the Atlanta Dream guard is averaging 15.3 points per game.
• Over her last 10 outings, Gray has averaged 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per contest, exceeding the points total for this matchup six times during that stretch.

Prediction: Allisha Gray OVER 14.5 points