Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings Preview, Prediction and Odds - 8/20/21
It’s an interconference tilt on the WNBA parquet as a pair of teams get their post-Olympic slate going here. The Indiana Fever are on the road as they make the trip to face the Dallas Wings Friday night. Indiana came up short on the road against Phoenix Tuesday night as they were edged 84-80 by the Mercury in their last game. Dallas picked up an 80-76 road win over Chicago in their previous contest Tuesday night. The Wings have won the last three meetings between the teams. That includes an 89-64 romp on the road in the first matchup between the teams this season back on June 24.
Indiana Fever Looking to Regain Momentum
Indiana went into the Olympic break with three straight wins but they’ve dropped a pair of close games coming out of it with losses to the Sparks and Mercury on the road. The Fever are in the basement of the WNBA standings, 5.5 games behind the Wings for the final playoff spot entering Thursday. Against Phoenix, Indiana was even after the opening quarter, led by four at the half and led by one late in the third quarter before giving up a decisive 9-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters that left them down eight with 9:11 to play. The Fever could get no closer than two the rest of the way. Indiana shot 45.5% from the floor, including 10 of 22 from three-point range, and held a 38-35 edge on the glass, though they hurt themselves with a 10 of 17 showing at the free throw line. Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 20 points in the loss.
The Fever comes into this game 11th in the league in scoring offense with 74.8 points per game. Indiana is seventh in the league in rebounding (35.1 boards per contest) and is 11th in the league in assists with an average of 16.5 dimes per game. The Fever are 10th in the league in scoring defense by allowing 84.4 points a night. Kelsey Mitchell is one of four players for the Fever averaging in double figures with 16.5 points a night. Teaira McCowan (11.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks) and Danielle Robinson (10 points, 3.8 assists) are good secondary options. Tiffany Mitchell (11.6 points), Jantel Lavender, Bernadett Hatar, Victoria Vivians, Jessica Breland, Lindsey Allen, Kysre Gondrezick and Chelsey Perry are looked at to contribute for coach Pokey Chatman. Indiana is 10th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 41.3% as a team on the year. The Fever are 12th in threes per game (4.5) while standing 12th by hitting 27.3% of their long-range attempts. Indiana is 10th in free throw shooting as they sink 78.8 % of their chances at the stripe this season. Hatar is out indefinitely with an ankle injury while Gondrezick is taking a personal leave and has no timetable for return. Perry (knee) also remains out indefinitely at this point in time. Lavender (ankle) is questionable for this contest.
Dallas Wings Trying to Climb Ladder in WNBA Playoff Picture
Dallas snapped a four-game skid as they took a road win in the Windy City over the Sky Tuesday night in their last game. The Wings improved to 10-13 on the year and hold the final playoff spot in the WNBA standings by half a game over the Mystics entering Thursday. Dallas led by 10 midway through the first quarter only to see that lead drop to three after the opening stanza. The Wings trailed by three at the half and held a one-point lead with 1:13 to play in the third quarter before going on a 12-2 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to take a 67-56 lead with 7:19 to play. Dallas didn’t let Chicago closer than two after that as they earned the win. The Wings shot 38.5% from the field, including seven of 14 from three-point range, and controlled the boards by a 45-32 margin. Allisha Gray led Dallas with 20 points and seven rebounds in the win.
The Wings come into this one third in the league in scoring with 83.8 points per game this season. Dallas is third in rebounding (36.6 boards per contest) but rank 10th in the league in assists with 18 per game. The Wings are struggling defensively, ranking 8th by allowing 83.1 points per contest. Arike Ogunbowale (18.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists) is one of four players scoring in double figures for the Wings this season. Allisha Gray (12 points), Marina Mabrey (13.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists), Isabelle Harrison (9.5 points, 5.4 rebounds) and Kayla Thornton (8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds) are all capable scoring options as well. Charli Collier, Tyasha Harris, Chelsea Dungee, Awak Kuier, Moriah Jefferson, Satou Sabally (12.4 points, 6.3 boards), Dana Evans and Bella Alarie all can be looked to for minutes for coach Vickie Johnson. The Wings are eighth in the league in field goal percentage as they hit 42.4% as a team. Dallas is fourth in three-pointers per game (8.4) and stand second in the league in three-point shooting as they hit 36.7% from long range. The Wings are second in free throw shooting as they convert 84.1% of their chances at the stripe. Sabally (Achilles) is questionable for this contest.
Pick: Dallas Wings
Even without Sabally against the Sky, we saw Dallas dominate the boards and make life difficult for the Sky on both ends of the floor. The Wings have more than enough talent to pile up points against most teams and Indiana has had major issues defensively this season. We’ve seen the Fever have major issues when it comes to slowing opposing teams from putting points on the board and that doesn’t bode well when you’re facing a team like the Wings, who love to push the tempo. Indiana is just 1-10 on the road and has been outscored by 13.8 points per game in those contests. Look for Dallas to run and gun their way to a victory in this contest.
Total: Under
Both teams have had more games than one would might expect fall under the total this season. Indiana has seen the under hit in 13 of their 22 games despite their poor defensive metrics. Some of that can be attributed to the fact that the Fever have had major issues on the offensive end of the floor this season. On the flip side, Dallas has seen the under go 13-9-1 in their 23 games despite the fact that they are third in the league in scoring offense this season. When you look at recent meetings between the teams, the under has hit in eight straight matchups and nine of the last 10. This one inevitably falls short as the Fever struggles to get their offense in gear.
