WNBA Picks Today: Mystics vs Storm Odds & Predictions on August 20

The Washington Mystics and the Seattle Storm hope to bounce back from their losing skids as both teams collide on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 inside Entertainment & Sports Arena.

(Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

Both teams head into this game coming off double digit losses, with the Mystics losing 99-83 to the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday and the Storm dropping a 92-75 decision to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever last Sunday.

Washington and Seattle have faced each other twice this season with the latter coming up on top on both occasions.

However, that was a few months ago and plenty of things have happened since, which makes this matchup incredibly intriguing.

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Will the Storm continue to impose its dominance or will the Mystics score its first win against Seattle and snap its four-game losing skid? That remains to be seen but for now let’s look at how the current Washington Mystics vs Seattle Storm betting lines stand.

Washington Mystics vs Seattle Storm WNBA Odds for August 20

Moneyline

• Washington Mystics: +240
• Seattle Storm: -310

Spread

• Washington Mystics: +6.5 (112)
• Seattle Storm: -6.5 (-108)

Over/Under (Total)

• OVER 160.5 (-112)
• UNDER 160.5 (-108)

Washington Mystics vs Seattle Storm Injury Report

Washington Mystics Injury Report

1. Karlie Samuelson – Knee – Out
2. DiDi Richards – Achilles – Out
3. Shakira Aust - Hip - Probable

Seattle Storm Injury Report

1. No Injuries

Best odds for Washington Mystics vs Seattle Storm

• The Washington Mystics ranks within the top of the league as far as Against-The-Spread (ATS) records are concerned. DraftKings offers the best Washington Mystics odds to cover the spread at -110.
• The Seattle Storm has covered the spread in their past two matchups with the Washington Mystics. The best Washington Mystics vs Seattle Storm odds for the road team to cover are available on Betano at -102.
• The Seattle Storm and the Washington Mystics have hit the under in three of their previous five encounters. 1XBET offers the best price for the under market at +101.

Why will the Washington Mystics cover the spread?

The Washington Mystics have taken the headlines this season for all the wrong reasons. Injuries, dead last in the standings, and near the bottom in scoring – it seems like all the doom and gloom have befallen on the Mystics.

On the surface, that’s about right but when you look closely, Washington has been a perennial favorite among punters as far as covering the spread is concerned.

1. Although the Mystics are sitting in the bottom of the standings, they are actually among the best ATS teams in the league.
2. Currently, Washington holds a 16-10-1 ATS record. What’s even more impressive is they are 8-5 ATS at home.

This means that Washington does not go down easily and will actually fight for your dough. Heading into this matchup against Seattle, the Mystics have opened as 8.5 underdogs and that has a lot to do with both teams’ previous encounter.

In their previous matchup, the Storm handed the Mystics its biggest loss of the season beating the latter by 32.

• However, it is worth noting that Washington was without Shakira Austin and Brittney Sykes in that game.
• Both Austin and Sykes are instrumental to the Mystics’ offensive attack with the former averaging 11.9 points and the latter posting season averages of 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
• With Austin and Sykes likely playing in this game, the Mystics now have enough firepower to go toe-to-toe with a high-octane Storm offense.

Plus, they are playing at home and taking on a Seattle squad that is coming off back-to-back losses on the road against the Atlanta Dream and the Indiana Fever, which are teams the Mystics have beaten this season.

Of course, WNBA math does not always work out but all things considered, some punters may find value in backing the underdog to cover the spread here.

Why will the Seattle Storm cover the spread?

After stringing together three consecutive victories in mid-July, the Seattle Storm seems to have hit a temporary roadblock losing to the Atlanta Dream and the Indiana Fever this month.

The Storm head to the nation’s capital next to close out their three-game road trip when it takes on the struggling Washington Mystics.

• Considering that Seattle has beaten this team twice already this season, this might be a great matchup for them to regain their bearings and return to the win column.

It is worth noting that the Storm covered in their two previous matchups with the Mystics this season.

• In the first encounter, Seattle came in as 4.5 favorites and beat Washington 84-75. The spread widened to -8.5 in their second encounter and the Storm more than covered by scoring its biggest win of the season.

Put simply, Seattle has always stepped up against Washington even when the odds are stacked against them.

For Seattle to retain their mastery over Washington though, they would need center Ezi Magbegor and Jordan Horston to get going.

1. In their past two losses, Magbegor and Horston have been nowhere to be seen, only averaging a combined 10 points per game. For context, both players are ranked fourth and fifth in scoring.
2. With the Storm taking on a Washington squad which is among the worst defensive teams in the league, it is a perfect time for Magbegor and Horston to find their rhythm back.

It is also worth noting that while the Mystics are among the best ATS teams, they have actually failed to cover the spread in their past three games.

In their two games since their return to the break, bookmakers gave Washington +4.5 and +8.5 free points but still wound up losing in double digits against the Minnesota Lynx.

Taking everything into account, punters could see potential value in backing Seattle to cover the spread here at these odds.

Final Washington Mystics vs Seattle Storm Prediction: Seattle Storm -6.5 (-108)

• The Washington Mystics are one of the best teams in the league as far as covering the spread is concerned so are the Seattle Storm.

However, both teams have failed to cover in the past few games, which makes this game a bit tricky. Nevertheless, I am going on a flier here and backing the more talented Storm squad to bounce back in a big way and return to the win column.