Two teams playing out the string meet at Climate Pledge Arena, but Chicago’s six-game losing streak and Seattle’s putrid home record make this one more interesting than the standings suggest.
Quick take:
- Pick: Seattle Storm +1.5
- Why: The Storm just took the Sky down in this same building six days ago, and Chicago’s injury list has only gotten worse since.
- The number to watch: Kamilla Cardoso’s 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game over her last five outings.
Chicago (12-22) sits fifth in the East and well out of the playoff picture, riding a six-game skid that includes six straight losses away from home. Seattle (7-29) is buried in eighth in the West, but the Storm have actually been the tougher out lately at home, dropping a heartbreaker to the Portland Fire on Friday, 84-82, after erasing a chunk of a deficit in the fourth quarter.
What the Market Is Saying About This One
Books have Chicago as the favorite here, which is a little counterintuitive given Seattle just beat the Sky 97-88 in this exact building on August 10. Lines have hovered between Sky -1.5 and -2, with the moneyline bouncing between -118 and -128 for Chicago and around +104 to +110 for Seattle, and the total sitting around 178.5. That’s the market pricing in Chicago’s slightly better overall record while still respecting a Storm team that just won the head-to-head meeting. Bettors tracking the full live betting odds board can see how this line has moved compared to other games on the slate today.
| Thursday, September 17 at 10:00 PM | Spread | Money | Total |
| Las Vegas Aces | 
-8.5 (-115) |
-360 | 
O 173.5 (-106) |
| Seattle Storm | 
+8.5 (-112) |
+295 |
U 173.5 (-115) |
Recent Form
Neither team is playing inspired basketball, but the shape of their struggles is different — Chicago’s issues are largely about who’s missing, while Seattle’s are about scoring consistency against good defenses.
| DATE | OPP | CLOSE | RESULT | ATS/OU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2026 | @New York Liberty | +11.5 / 181.5 | Lost 85-66 | Lost / Under |
| Aug 29, 2026 | @New York Liberty | +18.5 / 154.5 | Lost 85-66 | Lost / Under |
| Aug 25, 2026 | @Connecticut Sun | -7.5 / 165.5 | Lost 87-81 | Lost / Over |
| Aug 23, 2026 | Indiana Fever | +2.5 / 192.5 | Lost 90-113 | Lost / Over |
| Aug 21, 2026 | Golden State Valkyries | -10.5 / 154.5 | Won 73-70 | Lost / Under |
| Aug 19, 2026 | New York Liberty | +4.5 / 184.5 | Won 93-86 | Won / Under |
| Aug 16, 2026 | @Seattle Storm | -5.5 / 167.5 | Won 80-82 | Lost / Under |
| Aug 13, 2026 | @Golden State Valkyries | +7.5 / 169.5 | Lost 91-71 | Lost / Under |
| Aug 11, 2026 | @Seattle Storm | -2.5 / 183.5 | Lost 97-88 | Lost / Over |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Indiana Fever | +6.5 / 185.5 | Lost 86-90 | Won / Under |
| DATE | OPP | CLOSE | RESULT | ATS/OU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2026 | Los Angeles Sparks | +11.5 / 165.5 | Lost 74-90 | Lost / Under |
| Aug 30, 2026 | Los Angeles Sparks | — | Lost 74-90 | — / — |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Toronto Tempo | -7.5 / 178.5 | Won 90-78 | Won / Under |
| Aug 23, 2026 | @Dallas Wings | +15.5 / 174.5 | Lost 92-70 | Lost / Under |
| Aug 16, 2026 | Chicago Sky | +5.5 / 167.5 | Lost 80-82 | Won / Under |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Portland Fire | -2.5 / 179.5 | Lost 82-84 | Lost / Under |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Chicago Sky | +2.5 / 183.5 | Won 97-88 | Won / Over |
| Aug 9, 2026 | @Portland Fire | +5.5 / 194.5 | Lost 100-93 | Lost / Under |
| Aug 5, 2026 | @New York Liberty | +10.5 / 181.5 | Lost 95-83 | Lost / Under |
| Aug 5, 2026 | @New York Liberty | +10.5 / 181.5 | Lost 92-86 | Won / Under |
Showing 10 of last 10 meetings
| DATE | TEAM | OPP | CLOSE | RESULT | ATS/OU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 2026 | Seattle Storm | @Chicago Sky | +5.5 / 167.5 | Lost 80-82 | Won / Under |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Seattle Storm | @Chicago Sky | +2.5 / 183.5 | Won 97-88 | Won / Over |
| Jul 15, 2026 | Chicago Sky | @Seattle Storm | -3.5 / 169.5 | Won 95-90 | Won / Over |
| Aug 31, 2025 | Seattle Storm | @Chicago Sky | -10.5 / 163.5 | Won 79-69 | Lost / Under |
| Aug 20, 2025 | Chicago Sky | @Seattle Storm | +10.5 / 158.5 | Lost 88-94 | Won / Over |
| Jul 25, 2025 | Chicago Sky | @Seattle Storm | +11.5 / 155.5 | Lost 57-95 | Lost / Under |
| Jul 7, 2024 | Seattle Storm | @Chicago Sky | -9.5 / 163.5 | Won 84-71 | Won / Under |
| Jul 6, 2024 | Seattle Storm | @Chicago Sky | -9.5 / 161.5 | Lost 84-88 | Lost / Over |
| May 29, 2024 | Chicago Sky | @Seattle Storm | +1.5 / 165.5 | Lost 68-77 | Lost / Under |
| Aug 27, 2023 | Seattle Storm | @Chicago Sky | +1 / 161.5 | Lost 85-90 | Lost / Over |
Cardoso’s Surge Meets Malonga’s Inconsistency
Chicago is down to essentially one reliable offensive weapon. Skylar Diggins hasn’t played since early July because of a knee injury with no clear return timetable, Rickea Jackson is out for the season after tearing her ACL in May, and Sydney Taylor has been in and out of the lineup with a groin issue, sitting out the loss to Golden State on August 12. That leaves Kamilla Cardoso carrying an enormous offensive load, and she’s answered the call — 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game over her last five, including a 20-point, six-rebound night in the loss to the Valkyries and a 15-point, 13-rebound double-double against this same Storm team on August 10.
Seattle’s counter is rookie sensation Dominique Malonga, who’s averaging 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds on the season and dropped 26 points with 10 boards on Chicago back on August 10. But Malonga was quiet in Friday’s loss to Portland — just nine points on 3-of-15 shooting, though she still grabbed 12 rebounds and dished five assists. Seattle also got a spark off the bench from rookie Awa Fam, who put up 20 points and nine rebounds in that same game, a sign the Storm have more than one option even on an off night from their star.
Seattle is 6-4 against the spread in the last 10 meetings between these two teams, and has won six of the last 10 head-to-head matchups outright.
That head-to-head trend matters here. Seattle simply matches up better with this specific Chicago roster than the overall records suggest, and the home crowd at Climate Pledge Arena has seen the Storm keep games tight all month — this is a team that’s lost its last 10 by an average margin that’s stayed within a possession or two more often than not.
Chicago’s issue is bigger than one player, though. A 4-13 road record isn’t a fluke, and six straight losses away from home points to a team that’s lost some fight on the perimeter without Diggins running the offense. Natasha Cloud has tried to fill that void, leading the Sky in assists, but she’s not a high-volume scorer, and that puts even more pressure on Cardoso to be perfect every night just to keep Chicago competitive.
Prediction and Best Bet
Seattle’s had this Sky team’s number in the building all season, and Chicago’s shorthanded backcourt makes it tough to trust them on the road again. Expect a tight, low-scoring battle that comes down to the final possessions, with the Storm’s crowd and recent head-to-head edge tipping the scales.
The pick:
- Prediction: Seattle Storm 84, Chicago Sky 81
- Best Bet: Seattle Storm +1.5
The number’s close enough that either side of this spread can hit, but Seattle’s recent form against Chicago specifically gives the value here to the home team.
