The Los Angeles Sparks picked up a major win without Kelsey Plum on Wednesday night, scoring 106 points to upset the Indiana Fever.
Caitlin Clark returned from a back injury in that game, but the Sparks offense was firing on all cylinders for one of their most complete games of the season. Now, L.A. will look to keep things rolling at home against the Chicago Sky on Friday night.
Chicago is just 7-14 this season, but it has played well against the Western Conference, winning six of 13 games.
This is the first meeting of the season between the two franchises, and they’ll play again in a week on July 17 in Chicago.
Oddsmakers have the Sparks set as small favorites at home with Plum out of the lineup. So, let’s take a look at the odds, injuries and a prediction to make sense of this matchup between two teams on the outside of the playoff picture at this point in the season.
Sky vs. Sparks Odds, Spread and Total
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread
Sky +1.5 (-105)Sparks -1.5 (-115)
Moneyline
Total
180.5 (Over -110/Under -110)Sky vs. Sparks How to WatchDate: Friday, July 10Time: 10:00 p.m. ESTVenue: crypto.com ArenaHow to Watch (TV): IONSky record: 7-14Sparks record: 9-11Sky vs. Sparks Injury ReportsSky Injury ReportSkylar Diggins — outDiJonai Carrington — outRickea Jackson — outSparks Injury ReportCameron Brink — outKelsey Plum — outSky vs. Sparks Best WNBA Prop BetsSparks Best WNBA Prop BetDearica Hamby 15+ Points (-188)
Sparks star forward Dearica Hamby is averaging 14.7 points per game this season while shooting over 52 percent from the field, and she’s had to take on a bigger role with Kelsey Plum banged up.
Hamby has 15 or more points in four games in a row, including a 21-point showing in the win over Indiana on Wednesday. After failing to take double-digit shot attempts for most of June, Hamby has done so in four of her last five games.
That extra usage should help her clear her season average on Friday night against a Chicago team that is just ninth in the W in defensive rating.
Sky vs. Sparks Prediction and Pick
The Sparks have hit the OVER more than any other team in the WNBA (14-6), and I expect that trend to continue in this matchup with the Sky.
Chicago has struggled on offense at points this season, but it has scored over 90 points in four of its last five games, moving to fifth in the league in offensive rating over its last 10.
The Sparks have been a revolving door on defense this season, posting the worst defensive rating in the WNBA while allowing a league-worst 93.6 points per game.
Even with Plum out of the lineup, I expect this to be a high-scoring game since these teams are No. 2 (Los Angeles) and No. 3 (Chicago) in the league in pace.
Pick: OVER 180.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Find Peter Dewey’s WNBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
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