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Las Vegas Aces

Can the Aces sweep the Storm to advance to playoff semifinals?

  • What: WNBA Playoff Game
  • When: Tuesday, September 24
  • Who:  Seattle Storm vs. Las Vegas Aces
  • Time: 6:30 p.m. PST
  • Where: Michelob ULTRA Arena (Las Vegas, NV)

On Sunday, the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Seattle Storm 78-67 in Game 1. The two-time champions look to secure a spot in the semifinals by clinching a Game 2 victory on Tuesday.

The Aces finished the season strong and have exhibited remarkable performance in their last two opening-round playoff series.

Seattle Storm

The Storm showed promise for three quarters on Sunday, but a fourth-quarter collapse dashed their hopes for an upset in Game 1.

As they prepare for Game 2, they’ll need to address their struggles in the final 10 minutes, during which they only scored two points and failed to make a field goal.

Jewell Lloyd’s return to full health would significantly boost the team. Despite playing 26 minutes after recovering from a knee injury, she only scored six points, well below her season average of 19.7.

In Game 1, Skylar Diggins-Smith led the team in scoring with 16 points, but she needed 15 shots to get there

Las Vegas Aces

In the first game, the Aces covered a 7.5-point spread even though they played poorly for most of it. It was a defensive slugfest with both teams struggling to score. Neither team could get their offense going.

In the final 5:30, the Aces outscored Seattle by 10 points, leading to an 11-point victory. However, the fourth quarter saw more than just the Aces elevating their game.

The Storm’s offense was dreadful, managing only two points from free throws. They failed to make a single field goal attempt in the entire quarter.

Although Las Vegas scored just 14 points in the fourth quarter, they scored 12 of those in the last 5:30.

Despite their win, the Aces did not perform exceptionally well, especially in shooting. The Storm’s poor performance cost them a chance to secure a road victory against the Aces, who were not at their best Sunday night.

Storm-Aces Best Bet

The Aces are favored by 8 points and while that does feel like a lot for this playoff matchup, they are due for a bounce back game on the offensive end. I actually think both teams will play better offense in this one.

For that reason I’m going to target the total, which has plummeted to 159 points. I expect both teams to increase their pace of play and easily surpass this number. Over 159 points is the best bet in this one.

Aces take game one after a dominant fourth quarter

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Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.

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