The Sparks are hosting the Storm on Sunday. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Seattle is favored by five points and this game carries a total of 172 points.
Below, I break down the matchup between the Sparks and the Storm and give a pick for the game.
Sparks vs. Storm preview, prediction
Sunday will be the third matchup of the season between the Sparks and the Storm. In the first matchup in mid-June, Seattle blew out Los Angeles by 31 points. Then, the Sparks got revenge last Friday night and defeated the Storm 108-106 in an overtime thriller.
These two Western Conference teams sit near each other in the standings this season, with the Storm at 16-15 and the Sparks at 14-16. Led by Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles has been one of the best offenses in the WNBA as of late, with the team ranking second in offensive rating since the All-Star break. However, the Sparks hit a wall last night vs. the Valkyries, losing 72-59. Prior to this, the Sparks had won three in a row and scored over 100 points in all these victories.
Now, Los Angeles’ offense will look to get back on track against a Storm team that hasn’t played since this past Friday and ranks fourth in defensive rating this season. That being said, Seattle has lost four in a row, including that overtime loss to the Sparks just last Friday in which Los Angeles scored 108 points. Despite the lack of rest, the Sparks’ offense should bounce back Sunday, as Saturday’s 59-point effort vs. Golden State was a rare and random performance, especially by Plum, who scored a season-low four points. This season, she ranks fifth in the league in scoring with 19.8 PPG. While Los Angeles’ offense may bounce back, the team’s lackluster defense should struggle mightily after just competing last night. This season, the Sparks rank third-to-last in defensive rating.
For the Storm, the club just made a huge move last week by trading for Brittney Sykes from the Mystics. This season, the 31-year-old is averaging 15.3 PPG and she was named to her third consecutive All-Star team. Sykes is a strong option to pair with Nneka Ogwumike, who is leading Seattle with 18.0 PPG this season. Especially against the Sparks, the 35-year-old has been outstanding, scoring 26 and 37 points in her two matchups against Los Angeles this season. With the Sparks playing their second game in two nights, Ogwumike should continue to thrive against the club Sunday.
Sparks vs. Storm pick, best bet
With the Sparks on the back end of a back-to-back set, the Storm should snap their four-game losing streak and defeat Los Angeles for the second time this season on Sunday. However, Seattle being a five-point favorite is aggressive and the team hasn’t been great at covering this season, with a 14-17-0 ATS record.
So, instead of attacking this contest with a spread bet, backing this game to go over its 172-point total is a better wager. Albeit in a game that went to overtime, last Friday’s matchup between the Sparks and Storm produced a huge 214 points. Plus, Los Angeles is a league-best 20-9-1 for the over this season.
