How New Fans Can Bet on the WNBA

The WNBA’s newest expansion team tips off on Friday, May 8, and for a lot of Canadian basketball fans, the Toronto Tempo will be their first real entry point into the WNBA.

That makes this season different.

You’re not just learning a new team. You’re learning a new league, a new betting market, and a new set of angles that don’t always translate from the Toronto Raptors or the NBA.

This guide breaks down how to bet on the WNBA, what Tempo fans should watch for, and how bettors can make the most of their WNBA picks throughout the team’s inaugural season.

Toronto Tempo picks & prediction

The Toronto Tempo enter their first season with wide-ranging expectations across betting markets, creating potential value for bettors who move early.

Odds updated as of 5-4, courtesy of bet365, one of our best betting sites. Sign up with our bet365 promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.

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What new Toronto Tempo fans need to know about the WNBA

Before you can bet on the WNBA, it helps to understand how the league is structured.

The WNBA is a 15-team league with a 44-game regular season running from May through September. The top eight teams — regardless of conference — advance to a three-round, bracket-style playoff beginning around September 27, 2026. Seeding is based on regular-season record, with a best-of-three first round, best-of-five semifinals, and a best-of-seven Finals.

The Toronto Tempo will play a national schedule in their first season, with 15 home games at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, three at Scotiabank Arena, two at the Bell Centre in Montreal, and two more at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

For bettors, that matters. Travel, scheduling, and unfamiliar venues can all impact performance, especially for a new team still building chemistry.

Toronto Tempo schedule: First 5 games

The Toronto Tempo open their inaugural season with a challenging stretch that should quickly give bettors a feel for their pace, rotation, and overall identity.

Here’s a look at their first five games:

• May 8 vs. Washington Mystics — 5:30 PM
• May 13 vs. Seattle Storm — 5:00 PM
• May 15 at Los Angeles Sparks — 8:00 PM
• May 17 at Los Angeles Sparks — 5:00 PM
• May 19 at Phoenix Mercury — 8:00 PM

How to bet on the WNBA: Spreads, totals, and player props

Betting on the WNBA might look complicated at first, but most markets are built around the same types of bets you’d find in other sports. Once you understand these, you’ll be able to read the WNBA odds, compare lines, and start spotting potential value. 

WNBA moneyline betting

A moneyline bet is the simplest option. You need to pick which team will win the game. 

If the Toronto Tempo are listed at +140, a $100 bet would return $140 in profit. If they are -160, you would need to risk $160 to win $100. 

Moneylines are easy to understand, but they’re not always the best place to find value, especially early in the season when teams are still being priced. 

💡 If you’re just picking winners without thinking about price, you’re doing it wrong.

WNBA spread betting

The spread is designed to even out the matchup between two teams.

If Toronto is +6.5, they can lose by six or fewer points and still cover. If they’re -4.5, they need to win by five or more.

For a new team like the Tempo, spreads can be volatile early. Sportsbooks are still figuring out how good the team is, and so is the market.

💡 This is where overreactions can create inflated numbers on both sides.

Totals (Over/Under)

Totals are bets on the combined number of points scored in a game.

If the total is 164.5:

• The Over hits at 165 or more
• The Under hits at 164 or fewer

In the WNBA, totals are heavily influenced by pace, shot quality, and turnovers; all things that can fluctuate early in the season.

💡 If pace isn’t priced correctly yet, totals can be one of the most exploitable markets.

Player props

Player props are bets on individual player statistics, like points, rebounds, assists, or made threes.

This is where many bettors can find early-season value.

If you’re new to betting the WNBA, this is where you should start — not spreads, not moneylines.

Unlike spreads or totals, player props depend heavily on:

• Minutes
• Usage
• Role within the offense

💡If those things change faster than sportsbooks adjust, there can be a window where numbers are mispriced.

Toronto Tempo betting angles: Futures, awards, markets to watch

With a new team entering the league (two if you include Portland), futures and awards markets become especially interesting. Not because they are easy to predict, but because they can be mispriced early.

For bettors, this is where long-term value can show up if you’re ahead of the market. 

Toronto Tempo WNBA Championship and playoff odds

Futures markets like “To win the title” and playoff odds are often driven by perception. And for an expansion team, that perception can swing quickly. 

Early in the season, this market is driven more by narrative than actual performance.

If the Tempo start strong, their odds will shorten. If they struggle out of the gate, bettors may find value on longer prices, especially if underlying metrics suggest improvement. 

💡 Betting angle: Don’t rush into futures. Watch the first few weeks and then decide if the price matches reality. 

WNBA MVP odds and star impact

The MVP market in the WNBA is heavily tied to three things: usage, team success, and narrative.

High-volume players on winning teams almost always dominate this race, which makes it a difficult market for expansion teams to break into early.

For the Toronto Tempo, that likely keeps this market on the sidelines — at least to start the season. Unless one player emerges as a clear No. 1 option and the team outperforms expectations, MVP won’t be a primary betting angle.

Marina Mabrey is currently listed as a longshot in the +15000 range, which reflects how the market views both her role and Toronto’s projected success.

Rookie of the Year

For expansion teams, Rookie of the Year can be one of the most actionable betting markets.

Why?

Because opportunity often matters more than talent early in a player’s career, and new teams tend to hand out minutes faster than established contenders.

That creates a window where rookies can put up volume stats before sportsbooks fully adjust.

For the Toronto Tempo, that makes this one of the few award markets worth paying attention to early.

Kiki Rice is the rookie to watch. The No. 6 overall pick out of UCLA is currently sitting around +1000 to win Rookie of the Year, a price that reflects both her talent and expected opportunity.

Season win totals and team-based futures

Win totals can be one of the most difficult markets to price for expansion teams.

There’s very little baseline to go off of and no clear expectation. That means numbers can be soft — especially before the season begins.

• Season win total: Over 15.5 (-130) | Under 15.5 (+100)
• To make the playoffs: Yes (+275) | No (-380)

💡This is one of the few markets where having a strong early read can actually give you an edge over the sportsbook.

Toronto Tempo roster 

The Toronto Tempo roster features a mix of experienced veterans, international talent, and young guards expected to handle early-season usage.

Guards

• Kiki Rice (#1) — 5’11” | UCLA
• Marina Mabrey (#3) — 5’11” | Notre Dame
• Kia Nurse (#11) — 6’0″ | UConn
• Leilani Helo (#12) — 5’10” | DePaul
• Aaliyah Nye (#13) — 6’0″ | Alabama
• Brittney Sykes (#20) — 5’9″ | Syracuse
• Julie Allemand (#22) — 5’8″ | Belgium
• Kitija Laksa (#33) — 6’1″ | South Florida

Forwards

• Laura Juskaitė (#2) — 6’2″ | Lithuania
• Teonni Key (#7) — 6’5″ | Kentucky
• Nyara Sabally (#8) — 6’4″ | Oregon
• Maria Conde (#10) — 6’1″ | Spain
• Isabelle Harrison (#21) — 6’3″ | Tennessee

Centers

• Temi Fagbenle (#14) — 6’4″ | Harvard
• Nikolina Milić (#31) — 6’3″ | Bosnia & Herzegovina

Toronto Tempo projected starting lineup and depth chart

Based on the current rotation and positional depth, here’s a projected look at how the Toronto Tempo could line up to start the 2026 season:

🔹 Projected starting five

• PG — Marina Mabrey
  
• SG — Brittney Sykes
  
• SF — Kia Nurse
  
• PF — Nyara Sabally
  
• C — Temi Fagbenle