The Indiana Fever are doing an admirable job hanging in the playoff picture. But the Los Angeles Sparks are careening out of the picture.
It’s a profound shame that Caitlin Clark will be unable to participate in this contest. A showdown between Clark and Kelsey Plum would have been tremendous. Even without the All-Star, Indiana is not to be trifled with. It celebrated a Commissioner’s Cup Championship over the Minnesota Lynx after blowing out the Las Vegas Aces. That makes three straight victories for Indiana without Clark; it’ll be angling for a fourth on Saturday.
The Fever are 5.5-point favorites at home and are -245 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 163.5 points. Let’s look at the best bets and predictions for this contest.
Sparks vs. Fever Prediction
It’s hard to feel any confidence in the Sparks right now. Losers of six of their last seven games, this defense is collapsing on itself. Without Cameron Brink to anchor things in the paint, it’s been dire. They have the third-worst defensive rating in the league. At 5-13, this season is all but over.
Things are not over for the Fever. Despite multiple injuries to Clark, they’re above .500 and firmly in the playoff race. The Commissioner’s Cup Championship gave them confidence. Once Clark returns, they will cause a lot of problems for the higher seeds in the playoffs.
Sparks vs. Fever Pick
Indiana Fever -5.5 (-110)
After decimating the Aces in their last game, I have a lot of trust in this Fever team sans Clark. Their defense has been absolutely locked in. That’s going to be a problem for a Sparks team that needs to score in bunches just to remain competitive.
On top of that, the Sparks have no answer for defending Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston. The two should make All-Star trips this season, and have formed a great two-person dynamic on offense. That alone should be enough to take down a Sparks squad stumbling through the season.
