The Sparks can secure the eighth and final playoff spot if they win their final two games of the regular season and the Storm lose tonight against the Valkyries, as Los Angeles owns the tiebreaker over Seattle. That task for Los Angeles begins tonight against Phoenix at 10:00 p.m. ET. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Mercury are 7.5-point favorites, and the game’s total is set at O/U 172.5 total points.
Below, I have featured my favorite Dearica Hamby prop bet to consider for tonight’s Sparks vs. Mercury tilt.
Dearica Hamby Best Prop Bet on DraftKings Sportsbook
Dearica Hamby 25+ Points + Rebounds (-115)
With the season on the line for the Sparks, it’s hard to fade their second-leading scorer, Dearica Hamby, when their leading scorer, Kelsey Plum, is listed as questionable for tonight’s tilt. I’m not expecting Plum to sit out because she’s reportedly been dealing with injuries throughout the season and still played, but Hamby has averaged 20.7 points per game across 16 games since the start of August and garners practically the same usage rate (24.4%) as Plum (24.6%).
The 31-year-old forward has also averaged 8.3 rebounds across the same 16-game span, including two recent dominant double-doubles. Do some quick maths and see that 20.7 plus 8.3 exceeds the 25+ points + rebounds line rather easily. The overall risk is there, though, considering Phoenix ranks third in defensive rating and allows the second-fewest points in the paint per game. For reference, a whopping 75.7% of Hamby’s points this season have come from within the paint.
Still, the 3x All-Star has cleared this line in 14 of her last 20 games, including her most recent matchup against the Mercury on Aug. 26. She has grabbed double-digit rebounds in two of her last five games, and could take advantage against a Mercury squad that allows the fifth-most rebounds per game. This line feels even better when factoring in Los Angeles’ playoff hopes and Plum’s injury woes, leading to a locked-in Hamby that could see her usage rate increased.
