Published May 19, 6:50pm ET by
Keith McCarthy - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated May 19, 6:50pm ET
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Updated May 19, 6:52pm ET
The Fire and Fever meet on Tuesday night in an exciting clash of .500 teams. Caitlin Clark and the Fever are beginning to heat up after a slow start, and now will need to find a way to douse the Fire.
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| Indiana Fever | -13.5 (-105) |
| Portland Fire | +13.5 (-105) |
The Portland Fire started their inaugural season 2-2 after completing their first 4-game home stand. They now head on the road for the very first time as they get set to take on the Fever, Tempo, and Liberty. Without a roaring home crowd cheering them on, it will be interesting to see if the Fire are capable of keeping up with talented teams like Indiana. 2nd-year player Sarah Ashlee Barker will look to add to her hero moments.
Indiana improved to 2-2 following their win over the Storm. They continue to jockey for playoff positioning in the early-going, looking to build on last season's success. Caitlin Clark has played considerably better in her last two games after a rocky start but is still averaging 5 turnovers per game and subpar shooting splits. She'll look to continue getting back into rhythm in what should be a favorable matchup against the expansion Fire.
It will be interesting to see how much of the Fire's surprise early-season success is due to their raucous home environment which boasts one of the loudest crowds in sports. Without that adrenaline, their mismatches against teams like the Fever that are loaded with talent may become more glaring. Portland is still the type of team to hang around in the first half through sheer effort, but expect Indiana to pull away in the second half.
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Pick
Indiana Fever -13.5
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