The winner will take an important step towards securing a place in the top four and keeping its title prospects alive.
Both teams have yet to register a win but Otago has managed a draw and a bonus point from its two games and holds fourth place, with three round-robin matches remaining.
Wellington has two losses, but also picked up a bonus point for a close loss to Auckland-Waitakere in the opening round, and is in fifth place.
Auckland-Waitakere and Canterbury are undefeated, while Bay of Plenty has been off the pace, with two heavy losses, and seems destined to finish last.
Waikato is third, with a win and a draw, but has three tough games to complete the round-robin phase.
"We've been treating it as a must-win all week," Otago coach Deb Tasi-Cordtz said.
"If we are going to make the top four we need to win two of the next three, and obviously, Wellington and Bay of Plenty are targets for us."
Otago plays Canterbury in Dunedin next week and the defending champion has been the benchmark again this season.
On paper, Otago boasts a formidable unit, but it has not been able to string four quality quarters together. With so many players missing during the pre-season, the team's preparation was hampered and it showed in the draw with Waikato.
Otago led by as many as nine goals but crumbled under pressure in the dying stages. Most of the errors were made in the midcourt, an area where Otago expected to flex some muscle this season.
"The midcourt and the feeders need to take some more responsibility with the ball," Tasi-Cordtz said.
"We've worked on that this week and hopefully we'll see an improvement there.
"We have to look after Te Paea a lot more. We're expecting her to do a hell of a lot of work and to get the ball under pressure and then shoot the shots for us."
Tasi-Cordtz plans to persist with the tactic of starting with Olivia Bates and introducing Kate Shearer later in the match.
The goal attacks have vastly different skill sets. Bates, the younger sister of dual basketball and cricket international Suzie Bates, is a fine distributor but a hesitant shooter, while Shearer is quicker and puts up a lot more shots.
Injured midcourter Stacey Peeters will miss another round but is expected to be fit for the Canterbury game.
Harriet Arbuckle has filled in for Peeters and will take a spot on the bench again this weekend.
Wellington has an experienced core in defender Victoria Smith, midcourter Daya Wiffen, and shooter Jamilah Gupwell.
Midcourter Claire Kersten was part of the Otago team in 2010.
Otago v Wellington
Porirua, tomorrow, 1pm
Otago: Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Kate Shearer, Olivia Bates, Gina Crampton, Shannon Francois (captain), Miaana Walden, Demelza McCloud, Storm Purvis, Zoe Walker, Greir Campbell, Harriet Arbuckle.
Wellington: Te Amo Amaru-Tibble, Olivia Dunn, Jamilah Gupwell, Claire Kersten, Nicola Mackle, Stacey McFeeters, Laura-Meg McGlone, Charlene McKay, Stephanie Simmons, Victoria Smith, Daya Wiffin.
