Portland Fire (W) vs Mercury Prediction 18 September 2026
🔊 In this WNBA regular season clash, the Portland Fire take on the Phoenix Mercury. The hosts are known for their up-tempo, attack-minded basketball. While this approach hasn't always translated into positive results, Portland are unlikely to abandon their signature style. Phoenix are well-positioned to capitalize on any defensive lapses.
Head-to-Head
📊 The teams have faced each other twice, both meetings taking place this summer. Phoenix came out on top in the first game with a 78-72 victory, while Portland edged the second contest 88-85.
Head-to-head statistics Portland Fire (W) - Mercury
Portland Fire (W) Team Overview
Portland’s recent form leaves much to be desired, with four defeats in their last five games. Overall, their season has been marred by inconsistency and frequent setbacks. Still, matches involving the home side tend to be high-scoring affairs, averaging a total of 177 points per game. It’s likely that the team will stick to their trademark up-tempo style, especially now that their playoff hopes have all but vanished. With little left to play for, they’ll look to entertain the fans and pad their own stats, typically putting up around 86 points per contest. While a lengthy break might cause some early rust, it’s hard to imagine the hosts suddenly switching to a defensive-minded approach.
Match Results: Portland Fire (W)
Phoenix Mercury (W) Team Overview
Phoenix haven't exactly impressed this season either, winning less than 40% of their regular season games. Like their opponents, they’ve dropped four of their last five. The average total in games featuring Phoenix is slightly lower at 171.8 points. Still, everything depends on the matchup. Against Washington, for instance, the 73-80 result and the flow of the game were dictated by the Mystics’ style of play. But with Portland’s up-tempo approach, Phoenix should also find plenty of scoring opportunities. In this kind of contest, sheer volume of attempts may offset any struggles with efficiency. On average, Phoenix put up around 85 points per game.
Match Results: Phoenix Mercury (W)
Prediction for the 1st quarter
Head-to-Head Matches:
- Total encounters - 2;
- First quarter wins at home for the hosts - 0; for the visitors on the road - 1;
- Average total points in the first quarter: 38.5;
- Today's home team averages 17, while the visitors average 21.5.
First Quarter Stats: Portland Fire (W) (home) vs Phoenix Mercury (W) (away)
- Tournament matches played: 21 vs 19;
- Number of wins: 9 (42.86%) vs 9 (47.37%);
- Number of losses: 12 (57.14%) vs 10 (52.63%);
- Number of draws: 0 (0%) vs 0 (0%).
- Average points scored: 20.62 vs 21.32;
- Average points conceded: 21.38 vs 21.
Last 10 Matches (Overall):
- Number of wins: 5 vs 3;
- Number of losses: 5 vs 6;
- Number of draws: 0 vs 1;
- Average first quarter total: 45 (scored - 22.6, conceded - 22.4) vs 45 (scored - 22, conceded - 23).
- Portland Fire (W) scored over 22.5 points in the 1st quarter in 6 of last 7 home games (WNBA).
Prediction on the over/under
H2H:
- average total points per match for the home team - 80, for the away team - 81.5;
- average total points in H2H matches - 161.5.
Statistics: Portland Fire (W) vs Phoenix Mercury (W)
- average total in the tournament: 177.07 vs 171.79;
- average total points scored: 86.17 vs 84.79;
- average total points conceded: 90.9 vs 87;
- average total points scored in the 1st half: 41.69 vs 42.74;
- average total points scored in the 2nd half: 43.62 vs 41.95;
- Portland Fire (W): average total points scored at home in the tournament - 86.67;
- Phoenix Mercury (W): average total points scored away in the tournament - 81.95;
- last 10 matches (average total points scored): 87.7 (home - 89.4) vs 86.1 (away - 85.8).
- Over 169.5 points scored in 6 of last 7 Phoenix Mercury (W) games (WNBA).
⭐ Editorial Prediction
We expect this matchup to showcase open, attacking basketball from both sides. Both teams have struggled defensively throughout the season and tend to adapt their style to their opponents. However, their natural inclination is towards offense, and that should be on full display in this head-to-head clash. Our editorial team anticipates a high-scoring affair and predicts the game will go over the total. We're backing over 172.5 points.
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Betting Tips: Portland Fire (W) - Phoenix Mercury (W)
in 6 of last 7 away games (WNBA).in 13 of last 15 Portland Fire (W) games (WNBA).in 11 of last 12 Portland Fire (W) home games (WNBA).in last 9 Phoenix Mercury (W) games (WNBA).in 8 of last 9 Phoenix Mercury (W) away games (WNBA).
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