The WNBA slate on October 19th featured a single matchup, and it delivered an upset worth talking about. The Atlanta Dream traveled to face the Golden State Valkyries and left with a convincing 79-65 victory. The Dream controlled the game from the road, outpacing the Valkyries by 14 points in a result that few expected heading into tip-off. Golden State struggled to generate enough offense at home, finishing well below what the night called for.
The XO Sports model took the Valkyries to win this one, projecting a 78-74 home victory, so the pick did not land correctly. The model actually had the right idea on the scoring pace, predicting a combined 152 points compared to the 144 that hit the board, so the total projection was in a reasonable range. The miss came on the side, with Atlanta flipping the script entirely. It was a tough night for the model, but one-game slates carry inherent variance, and the Dream deserve full credit for the road performance.