Liberty vs Storm Betting Preview: Seattle Ready to Spoil Stewart’s Return

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It will either be the biggest upset or another blowout defeat for the Seattle Storm. According to the WNBA odds, the Storm are 14.5-point underdogs in their own arena. After all, they got destroyed by 41 points in their home opener albeit against the title favorites, Las Vegas. With Breanna Stewart’s return, the odds are heavily against her old team per this Liberty vs Storm betting preview.

Stewart Ready to Roll in Familiar Territory

The WNBA’s best player returns to her old stomping grounds and every Liberty vs Storm betting preview expects her to continue dominating. New York may not be atop the WNBA standings just yet, but Stewart has lit up the league in her three games with her new team.

The two-time WNBA champion is posting MVP averages with 26 points, 10 boards, and 1.7 blocks while shooting 53.2 percent from the field. She’s also averaging three 3-pointers and three steals a game. Both are likely unsustainable and padded by her game against the Indiana Fever, the league’s perpetual doormat.

Heading back to Seattle, Stewart will ball. And both her fans and former teammates will have mixed feelings.

“I played against Stewie a lot,” said Jewell Loyd, referring to her past rivalry with Stewart when they were in their NCAA days. “It’s going to be fun. It’s the same feeling I’ve had before.”

The Liberty are 1-1-1 against the spread (ATS) with Stewart in the lineup. Their opening game, which ended in a 16-point loss to the Mystics, was a shocker. That lit a fire under Stewart as she proceeded to put up video game numbers after.

Given their humongous spread, it’s tough to trust Stewart and the Liberty even if they should win in this game. But that’s just what to expect with a star-studded and popular team.

Storm Get no Favors with Early WNBA Schedule

Speaking of popular teams, the Storm remain one of the WNBA’s more iconic franchises even if they are a shell of what they were. Stewart left and Sue Bird retired. And to start, their WNBA schedule pit them against the Aces, the Dallas Wings, and now the Liberty. These could be three of the final four teams later this WNBA playoffs.

That’s why the betting lines are quick to put up a wide line against Seattle as this team, in the eyes of many, could be challenging Indiana as the worst team in the WNBA. But this league is not as cut and dry as its male counterpart. The Liberty vs Storm betting previews still give this team props.

Seattle played Dallas close in their last loss. Kia Nurse, who is coming back from injury, looked more like herself with 20 points and a whopping six 3-pointers made. Loyd led the team with 30 points albeit she needed to hoist 25 shots to hit that mark.

The Storm had just 14 assists to 13 turnovers. This team can produce points but it needs to do it with better ball movement and a more balanced approach. Loyd and Nurse can take turns scoring and combine to score over 70 percent of the team’s points. But that’s not a recipe for long-term success, especially against the WNBA’s best.

But maybe just for this game, the Storm can play a lot better than expected. If they want to make a statement, now would be the time to do it as they welcome back their old MVP.

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