The Lynx are hosting the Sparks on Thursday. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Minnesota is favored by 15.5 points, and this game carries a total of O/U 188.5 points.
Let’s get into my pick and prediction for this contest.
Lynx vs. Sparks Preview
The Lynx are 2-0 vs. the Sparks this season, and Minnesota is on a sensational run right now, winning 10 games in a row, which is the longest winning streak the WNBA has seen this season.
The 25-6 Lynx comfortably lead the league in record and net rating, and they are the only team to rank top-three in both offensive and defensive rating. Unsurprisingly, Minnesota has been elite with superstar Napheesa Collier back and playing alongside rookie sensation Olivia Miles and veteran Kayla McBride.
The team is 4-0 with Collier in the lineup, and with Collier, Miles and McBride on the floor, the Lynx own an absurd +26.6 net rating. Minnesota is an absolute powerhouse with this trio healthy and the unquestioned best team in the league with the playoffs approaching.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Lynx currently sit as a -105 favorite to win the WNBA Championship with 13 games in the regular season. Minnesota is at home tonight, where the club is 12-4, and coming to town is a Sparks team that just lost to the Sky in Chicago last night, 95-88.
Los Angeles is 11-18 and ranks 11th in net rating, but the team is even worse than these rankings suggest. The Sparks just traded away five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Mercury, and Los Angeles is a much weaker team with the terrific scorer out of the picture.
The Sparks are 4-13 with Plum inactive this season, compared to 7-5 with her active. Los Angeles’ net rating with Plum off the floor is -8.5, which would be the second-worst net rating in the league if it were the Sparks’ average for the season.
Nneka Ogwumike, Dearica Hamby and Rae Burrell are the Sparks’ main options sans Plum, making them one of the weakest offensive groups in the WNBA. With the Lynx’s stout defense on the other side, Los Angeles is going to have major issues putting up points tonight, especially with this being the second leg of a back-to-back.
The Sparks have once played two games in two nights this season, and in the second contest, they lost to the Sun, 84-81, who rank dead last in net rating this season. Tonight’s matchup with the Lynx could get out of hand, hence the Lynx being huge 15.5-point favorites.
Lynx vs. Sparks Pick, Best Bet
The Sparks don’t stand a chance tonight, and the Lynx should cruise to an easy win.
Covering a 15.5-point spread is never easy, but Minnesota should get the job done with Los Angeles on the second leg of a back-to-back. When playing with a rest advantage this season, the Lynx are 6-3 ATS.
