The Valkyries are hosting the Sparks on Monday. Golden State is a 5.5-point home favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the game total set at 173.5 points.
Let’s get into my pick and prediction for this contest.
Valkyries vs. Sparks Preview
Monday is the first matchup of the season between these Western Conference squads. The Valkyries are 8-5 and rank fifth in net rating, while the Sparks are 7-6 and rank seventh in net rating. Golden State ranks in the top five in both offensive and defensive ratings, while Los Angeles heavily relies on its offense, ranking third in offensive rating but dead last in defensive rating. Both these teams are riding winning streaks, with the Sparks winning three straight and the Valkyries winning back-to-back contests.
Veronica Burton and Gabby Williams lead the Valkyries. Burton continues to improve in her fifth season, averaging a career-high 14.4 points per game to go along with 5.9 assists. In her first season with the Valkyries, Williams has taken a big step forward, averaging a career-high 15.7 points after scoring 11.6 points per night with the Storm a year ago.
This duo’s defense has also been great, and they are the main reason the Valkyries are one of the top defenses in the WNBA. The Sparks, however, are red hot right now, scoring 89-plus points in four consecutive games. It will be interesting to see if the Valkyries can slow down Los Angeles.
Kelsey Plum has been the league’s top scorer this season, leading the association with 26.6 points per game, which is a career high for the guard. In Saturday’s overtime win over the Mercury, Plum went nuts with a career-high 43 points. Nneka Ogwumike has also been a great fit alongside Plum, averaging 16.2 points on 52.9% shooting.
But outside of Plum and Ogwumike, the Sparks struggle to find consistent offense from the rest of their squad. Dearica Hamby, Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell have all had up-and-down campaigns, and one of these players will need to step up if the Sparks want to take down the Valkyries. Golden State is 5-2 at home, but Los Angeles is 5-1 on the road, so we could be in store for a nail-biter.
Valkyries vs. Sparks Pick, Best Bet
While the Sparks have improved recently, the Valkyries have been the better team this season, and they should come out on top in this matchup. That being said, I am expecting a close game here, and the Valkyries being favored by 5.5 points does feel like too much.
Sparks at +5.5 is a solid play, but my lean is to back the over, as both these squads are 9-4 for the over this season.
