Liberty vs Fire Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s WNBA Game

Phil Naessens - Contributor at Covers.com
Phil Naessens • Betting Analyst 19+ years betting experience
Updated: May 12, 2026 , 09:31 AM ET • 4 min read

Naessens' Prediction: Liberty cruise to an impressive victory over the defensively-challenged Fire.

WNBA

Match starts: 11 hrs
NY
68 %
PDX
32 %
Read Analysis
Breanna Stewart of the NY Liberty WNBA
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Breanna Stewart of the NY Liberty WNBA

The New York Liberty make their first appearance at Moda Center when they take on the expansion Portland Fire.

Portland’s defense leaks like a sieve, and my Liberty vs. Fire predictions expect New York to win by a comfortable margin tonight.

Read on for my WNBA picks for Tuesday, May 11. 

Liberty vs Fire prediction

Liberty vs Fire best bet: Liberty -11.5 (-115)

The New York Liberty have been a wrecking ball to open 2026, posting a +19.4 overall NET rating while holding opponents to just 84 points per game. 

That defense faces a Portland Fire offense that managed a 101.2 OFFENSIVE NET in its only outing and surrenders 48 points in the paint.

New York generates 21.5 points off turnovers per game, second in the league, and Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and the thinned-out Liberty still produced that damage without five rotation players.

New York's depth has been irrelevant so far. Portland's defense will be too.

Covers COVERS INTEL: The Liberty have a team effective field goal percentage of 63% through two games.

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Liberty vs Fire same-game parlay

The injuries to Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally have forced Breanna Stewart to be more aggressive on offense.

Stewart is a versatile scorer, and torched Connecticut for 31 points in just 28 minutes. Portland’s defense grades out as the second- worst in the WNBA, and she’ll eat tonight. 

Bridget Carleton has steadily increased her 3-point volume throughout her career and connects at 39% from downtown. A shooter getting at least seven-plus attempts from long-range will find two. 

Liberty vs Fire SGP

  • Liberty -11.5
  • Breanna Stewart Over 21.5 points
  • Bridget Carleton Over 1.5 threes

Liberty vs Fire first basket scorer: Breanna Stewart (+325)

Jones projects to win the opening tip, and the Liberty will look to push in transition with Stewart as the first option. 

The two-time former WNBA MVP scored the first basket of the 2026 season against the Sun, is averaging 27 points through two games, and is a good pick for this wager. 

Phil Naessens' 2026 Transparency Record
  • Best bet: 2-0, +1.96 units
  • SGP: 1-1, +1.90 units
  • First basket: 1-1, +2.50 units

Liberty vs Fire odds

  • Spread: Liberty -12.5 | Fire +12.5
  • Moneyline: Liberty -800 | Fire +550
  • Over/Under: Over 173.5 | Under 173.5

Liberty vs Fire trend

The Under is 3-7-0 in the last 10 NY Liberty contests. Find more WNBA betting trends.

How to watch Liberty vs Fire

Location Moda Center, Portland, OR
Date Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Tip-off 10:00 p.m. ET
TV WWOR, KPDX

Liberty vs Fire latest injuries

Liberty: Satou Sabally (Out), Rebecca Allen (Out), Raquel Carrera (Out), Leonie Fiebich (Out), Sabrina Ionescu (Out). 
Fire: Kamiah Smalls (GTD). Karlie Samuelson (Out), Sug Sutton (GTD). 
Find our latest WNBA injury reports.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Phil Naessens
Betting Analyst

Prior to joining Covers in 2022, Phil Naessens spent 38 years as a resident tennis pro in Las Vegas, Mykonos, and Corfu, Greece. He’s the past host of the Phil Naessens Show (Armed Forces Radio), and currently hosts the Crush and Rush Tennis Podcast.

Phil is the author of the Betting 101 series (MLB, NFL, NCAAF, and Tennis) and has written for numerous publications, including Advance Local, SB Nation, FanSided, and Lenny Melnick Fantasy Sports. 

His favorite sports to bet on are tennis, MLB, WNBA, Euro men’s and women’s hoops, NCAA sports, NFL, and the NBA. Phil has numerous betting accounts in the US and Europe, and his best advice is to line shop for the best value possible.

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