Seattle Storm vs Washington Mystics Picks and Odds – August 22nd
By Mitchell Hansen in WNBA
Published:
- The Storm and Mystics battle cap off an ESPN doubleheader in the WNBA on Sunday, Aug. 22nd
- Seattle is fighting for one of the WNBA’s top three seeds, while Washington is trying to fight for a playoff spot
- See odds, preview and the best bet for the game below
The Seattle Storm and Washington Mystics will battle in the nightcap of a doubleheader in the WNBA on Sunday, Aug. 22nd.
Seattle and Washington will tip off at 3pm ET on Sunday, taking the court after the Los Angeles Sparks and the New York Liberty square off at 2pm ET on ESPN3. The Storm and Mystics contest, which will take place in the nation’s capital, will air on ESPN to round out the week of games in the league.
Seattle enters the contest as one of the top teams in the WNBA, holding a record of 17-7 while sitting in the 3rd seed in the league standings. Washington is right in the heart of the playoff race while battling for one of the bottom seeds in the postseason, carrying an overall recording of 8-13 for the 10th seed in the standings.
Storm vs Mystics Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Storm | -9.5 (-110) | -520 | Over 165.5 (-108) |
| Washington Mystics | +9.5 (-110) | +370 | Under 165.5 (-112) |
Odds as of Aug. 22nd from FanDuel
Storm Chasing WNBA Top Spot
Seattle has been one of the top teams in the league this season, but it is still trying to fight with two other teams for the top spot in the WNBA standings.
The Storm come into Sunday’s contest a half-game behind the Las Vegas Aces and the Connecticut Sun for the top spot in the standings, and a win over the Mystics would put them right back atop the WNBA with the playoffs quickly approaching.
The Storm, who have been solid on the road this year with an away record of 9-4, faced the New York Liberty on Friday, coming away with a 99-83 victory in Brooklyn. That win saw the return of Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird, who sat out due to rest the last few games, and ended a two-game skid for Seattle.
BACK AT IT WITH A W! ⛈️#TakeCover #StormWins pic.twitter.com/t8myOeNxj9
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) August 21, 2021
Seattle continues to be led by the trio of Stewart, Jewell Loyd and Bird this season. Stewart is averaging 20.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals , Loyd has averaged 19.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals, and Bird has tallied 10.8 points, 5.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds a contest.
Mystics Finally Return Home
Washington will return home for the first time since play resumed out of the Olympic break. Playing in its first contest in the nation’s capitol since June 29, they will also get Elena Delle Donne back for the first time this year.
The Mystics look to get back on the right track with a return home, having lost three in a row and seven in their last 10 games. Washington comes into Sunday with a record of 8-13 overall, 10th in the league standings, trailing the eighth and final playoff spot by one game.
The Mystics are coming off a loss to the Phoenix Mercury 77-64 Thursday, pushing their losing streak to three straight.
Washington, which is 5-4 at home this season, have been led all season long by Tina Charles, averaging 25.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists a game. Ariel Atkins and Myshia Hines-Allen have played well also, with Atkins averaging 16.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals and Hines-Allen averaging 13.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
.@tinacharles31 has passed @S10Bird for 6th on the #WNBA All-Time Points Leaders List!
💻 #WNBATwitter #CountIt pic.twitter.com/2GaQWIvSOa
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 20, 2021
Best Bet
As the early betting odds display, oddsmakers favor Seattle to take care of business on the road in Washington.
Seattle is back to full strength after resting Bird and Stewart, who claimed gold as part of Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics. They look poised to finish out the regular season riding high as they defend their title. Washington has been struggling as of late and will have its work cut out for them against a top notch Seattle squad, though the return of Delle Donne will help.
🚨 Reminder 🚨 8/22 game 🆚 Storm is on a new channel & time!
🕔 𝟑:𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐌
📺 @espn🎟 still available >> https://t.co/WPnJoQVhNX#TogetherDC pic.twitter.com/cDyhDose2s
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) August 20, 2021
In the end, the Storm should be able to take the game on the road and handle it with relative ease, getting back at the top of the WNBA standings with less than 10 games left before the postseason.
However, that 9.5-point line seems a bit steep, especially with the game being played at Washington. Even with a Storm win, go with the Mystics to keep it under 10.
The Pick: Mystics +9.5 (-110)
Mitchell has a decade of experience in journalism, marketing, communications and digital fields, having covered sports teams and leagues on all levels. He has spent more than seven years covering the WNBA and NBA, among other sports. You can follow him on Twitter @M_Hansen13.
