Seattle is 2-18 on the road, which means they are playing defense in a building where Golden State allows just 75.2 points per game. You cannot out-rebound a team that holds opponents to that defensive standard while shooting 42 percent from the field, yet here is Seattle, missing Zia Cooke and Jordan Horston to a lineup that averages 82.7 points per night. Dominique Malonga's 16.8 scoring output is valiant, but it is a drop in the bucket against a Valkyries roster that has already absorbed significant losses with Gabby Williams and others out, leaving them looking to protect the 16-5 home slate.
The -12.5 spread and 156.5 total assume a low-scoring scrap because the Valkyries' defense is the best in the business, but this is a regular season game where attention spans are short and rims are generous. Seattle's 88.8 points allowed per game suggests they will be happy to keep this under 156.5 if they can just survive the third quarter without coughing up a transition layup. The chalk is thick here, but the injury list on both sides guarantees this won't be a textbook execution clinic. Make your pick on the Storm to beat the spread or the Valkyries to cover, and let the StreakChat floor decide if this is a blowout or a basketbrawl.