Defense wins games, but total structural breakdown usually loses them. The 29-11 Golden State Valkyries walk into Chase Center in San Francisco, CA as heavy 13.5-point favorites for this 10:00 PM EDT regular season tilt, and the numbers tell you why before the ball even hits the floor. Golden State operates like a vice, holding opponents to just 75.4 points per game with a fortress-like 15-5 record on their home floor. Compare that to a 16-24 Portland Fire squad yielding a cartoonish 91.1 points per night, and you start to see why the total sits at 161.5.
Portland actually scores a respectable 86.6 points per game, but good luck finding that offense with a training room that looks like a triage unit. The Fire head into an 8-12 road test without Megan DiLeo, Teja Oblak, Bridget Carleton, and top engine Carla Leite, leaving them totally stripped of their primary creator. With Gabby Williams (14.3 PPG) and Veronica Burton (5.8 APG) steering a balanced Golden State machine against a decimated roster, Portland has to pray Emily Engstler can control the glass just to stay in the zip code. Drop your pick on the spread and lock in the discussion on StreakChat right now.