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Edgar Chaput
Los Angeles Sparks vs Dallas Wings Prediction, WNBA Odds
There was a time earlier in the season when L.A. was looking decent, playing .500 basketball. That feels like a distant memory now, as they have fallen seven straight times, most recently in a 73-70 heartbreaker against the Minnesota Lynx. The Wings are flying high, coming off a convincing 98-88 win against the Eastern Conference-leading New York Liberty.
Dallas is riding that momentum to the tune of -8.0 favourites as per the WNBA odds. The total is pegged at 164.5.
Sparks vs Wings Betting Analysis
The irony of tonight’s matchup is that both teams are heading in completely different directions from when they last played. Despite the discrepancy in their win-loss tallies, the Sparks have a 3-0 season-series lead over the Wings. L.A. clipped them twice before handing them a more decisive 93-83 defeat on June 25. Since then Dallas has righted its ship and the Californian club has sunk.
With the defeats piling up, little wonder that L.A. is only 7-12-2 against the spread on the season. Their last two successful covers were against Dallas before they failed six times in a row and a push earlier this week versus Minnesota. The over is 4-2 in their past six games.
Do not be fooled by Dallas’ seemingly mediocre 10-10-1 ATS record. The truth is they have covered six of their past seven games. Now is the time to believe in this group if you’re into sports props. The over has connected twice in a row after the under had done so five times.
Los Angeles Sparks
As the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s game in Minnesota against the Lynx wound down, it really looked as though the losing streak was coming to an end. Unfortunately for L.A., their atrocious start to the game negated whatever spark they had in the second half.
When the Lynx took a seemingly insurmountable 20-point lead early in the third quarter, most Sparks fans thought it was time to turn out the lights. Napheesa Collier (22 points) was having her way, as was Dorka Juhasz. The paint defence was terrible and the Sparks couldn’t make a shot. That is until they started making almost all of their shots in the third quarter. Nneka Ogwumike (19 points) and Jordin Canada (12 points) helped their side claw its way back into the game. They dominated the third period 28-11, even taking the lead. But when Minnesota got back to its game – dominating the paint – it was too much for the Sparks, who fell in the dying seconds.
Dallas Wings
Wednesday on the road to the New York Liberty could be billed as a major litmus test as to where the Wings stand at this point in the season. How good are they and can they contend with some of the better squads in the league? The answer, it would seem, is yes.
Facing the top-ranked team in the Eastern Conference, the Dallas Wings showed no fear. Field goal and three-point percentages were almost identical between the rivals, but the visiting Wings made the most of their clutch opportunities. It’s neat that both went 43 per cent from distance, but Dallas did so on only 16 shots to New York’s 30, so the Wings often benefited from defensive rebounding and went the other way for scores. Arike Ogunbowale led her side with 25 points, including several high-altitude threes. It was a true team effort, with three other players hitting double digits in points: Natasha Howard, Satou Sabally, and Teaira McCowan.
