The Toronto Tempo close out their season series with the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday night in the desert. Phoenix sits as an 8.5-point home favorite with the total at 176. Neither club has anything left to play for after both were eliminated in August. Still, 8.5 is a heavy number in a 40-minute league, and this market has already moved twice since it opened.
Last Updated: Saturday, August 29, 2026
Toronto Tempo vs. Phoenix Mercury — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix AZ |
| When | Saturday, August 29 – 10:00 PM ET |
| TV | AZ Family Sports Net, TSN, WNBA League Pass |
Toronto Tempo vs. Phoenix Mercury Betting Preview
Toronto arrives at 11-27 in the franchise’s inaugural season. The Tempo were eliminated from playoff contention on August 20 after a 93-82 loss in Washington. They have gone 1-4 in their last five, with the lone win an 82-79 home decision over Portland on August 21.
The bigger issue is the roster. Brittney Sykes and Aneesah Morrow were both ruled out for the rest of the season after injuries in that same Portland game. Nyara Sabally has a calf issue. Marina Mabrey, the club’s leading scorer, missed the August 26 trip to Seattle with an adductor strain. Toronto lost 90-78 with a badly thinned rotation.
Toronto averages roughly 87 points and concedes close to 94. The Tempo shoot about 35 percent from three, but the defense has been the league’s softest all summer.
Phoenix is not humming either. The Mercury are 13-26 and carry a three-game skid into Saturday. Washington won 94-84 on August 25 and 80-73 on August 27. Our preview of that second Washington game flagged the same scoring problems.
Phoenix was eliminated on August 23. The Mercury score 83.7 points, allow 87.7, and hit just 32.3 percent from three. The roster did get a midsummer jolt when Kelsey Plum arrived from Los Angeles in an August 2 trade. With Kahleah Copper, Phoenix has two guards who can carry a night alone.
The series is level. Toronto took the opener 98-90 on May 19, and Phoenix answered 89-80 on June 27 with the Tempo again missing Mabrey. Saturday is the rubber match.
Toronto Tempo vs. Phoenix Mercury Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tempo | +8.5 (-105) | +310 | U 176 (-110) |
| Mercury | -8.5 (-115) | -415 | O 176 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of Saturday, August 29, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest WNBA Odds – Futures – Props
Toronto Tempo vs. Phoenix Mercury — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Tempo | 70% | 30% | Mercury |
See the latest WNBA Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Tempo vs. Mercury Prediction — Is Public Right to Take Points?
Start with what the market has done. This game opened with both sides at 8.5 and -110. The number has not moved. The juice has. Phoenix now costs -115 while Toronto pays -105. Meanwhile, 70 percent of spread tickets sit on the Tempo. A lopsided ticket count meeting a price drifting the other way usually signals resistance, not agreement.
The case for laying the points is roster math. Toronto has lost Sykes and Morrow for the year, Sabally is out, and Mabrey did not play in Seattle. A team already conceding 94 a night has fewer bodies for a Plum and Copper backcourt. The Tempo lost by 12 in that condition.
The counterargument starts with the number. Spreads this size are hard to cover in a 40-minute league that rarely produces garbage time. Phoenix has lost three straight and managed only 73 points on Friday’s home floor. Toronto also won the first meeting outright, a reminder that the gap is narrower than the price implies.
The Pick: Mercury -8.5 (-115)
Tempo vs. Mercury Prediction — Will Scoring Dry Up?
The total is the more interesting market here. This game opened at 178 and has been bet down to 176. That two-point move lines up with what the box scores say. Toronto’s last three games finished at 161, 166 and 168 combined points. Phoenix’s most recent outing landed at 153. Four straight results beneath this number is not noise.
The other side is straightforward. Toronto still gives up roughly 94 a night, and Phoenix cleared 176 in two of its previous four home games, including a 99-89 loss to Atlanta on August 22. The season averages add up to almost exactly 176, so this is not a raw mispricing. The low side is about the current rosters, not the season profile.
The Pick: Under 176 (-110)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
The moneyline is where we step back. Phoenix at -415 carries an implied probability near 81 percent. That is steep for a team on a three-game skid. Toronto at +310 is the contrarian shape, but 89 percent of moneyline tickets already sit on the Mercury. Neither side offers enough edge, so we pass on that market.
What makes this game readable is that both teams are out of the race and the injury news is one-sided. Motivation is a wash. Availability is not. It points the same way on both of our positions. For more, see our latest WNBA picks coverage.
Both positions carry risk. If Mabrey returns and Toronto shoots its season average from three, the spread pick is in trouble. If the Phoenix guards get hot, the total goes with it. Recapping the card: Mercury -8.5 (-115) and Under 176 (-110).
WNBA Tempo vs. Mercury FAQ: Saturday August 29, 2026
What time does the Toronto Tempo vs. Phoenix Mercury game start?
Tip-off is set for 10:00 PM ET on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. That is 7:00 PM local time in Arizona. The game is the third and final scheduled meeting between the two clubs during the 2026 regular season.
What channel is the Toronto Tempo vs. Phoenix Mercury game on?
The game airs locally in the Phoenix market on AZ Family Sports Net and is carried in Canada by TSN. Viewers outside those markets in the United States can stream it through WNBA League Pass. Coverage starts with the 10:00 PM ET tip-off from Mortgage Matchup Center.
Where are the Toronto Tempo and Phoenix Mercury playing today?
The teams meet at Mortgage Matchup Center in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, the Mercury’s home building. The arena was known as PHX Arena before its current naming-rights agreement took effect. Toronto is the visiting side for the closing game of the regular season series between the two clubs.
Who won the last meeting between the Toronto Tempo and Phoenix Mercury?
Phoenix won the most recent meeting 89-80 on June 27, 2026, in Toronto. The Mercury handled a Tempo side that was without Marina Mabrey that night. Toronto had taken the first meeting 98-90 back on May 19, which left the season series level at one win apiece.
Where do the Toronto Tempo and Phoenix Mercury stand in the WNBA standings?
Toronto sits at 11-27 and Phoenix at 13-26, with both clubs already out of the 2026 playoff race. The Tempo were eliminated on August 20 and the Mercury followed on August 23. Neither team can improve its postseason position in the closing week of the regular season.