The Sparks are hosting the Valkyries on Sunday night. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Golden State is favored by 6.5 points, and this game carries a total of O/U 169.5 points.
Let’s get into my pick and prediction for this contest.
Sparks vs. Valkyries Preview
The Sparks made headlines Thursday night, pulling off a crazy upset over the top-seeded Lynx, 89-82. Entering this matchup, Minnesota had won 10 in a row, and Los Angeles had lost seven of its previous eight. Furthermore, the Sparks were playing their second game in two nights. As a result, Los Angeles was a massive 15.5-point underdog for this tilt, so the Sparks coming out on top was shocking to say the least.
Rae Burrell led the way with 17 points, and Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby both added 16 points. Cameron Brink also had one of her best games of the season, posting 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 25 minutes off the bench. Brink was a team-best +22 in the boxscore, and hopefully, this is a sign of more things to come from the former lottery pick with Kelsey Plum now in Phoenix.
Also, Monoque Akoa Makani only scored seven points in her 20 minutes, but her defense was excellent, and she finished a +20, trailing only Brink. However, Akoa Makani sprained her ankle along the way, and she is questionable to play tonight.
The guard comfortably leads the Sparks in plus/minus this season, so her absence would be notable. Winning two of their last three, the Sparks absolutely look better, but this is still a weak team that is likely bound for the lottery.
Los Angeles is the No.10 seed at 12-18, which is six games back of the Liberty for the No.8 seed. The Sparks rank 12th in net rating, and in the one matchup between the Sparks and Valkyries this season, Golden State easily won on its home floor, 78-58.
The Valkyries have been excellent in the franchise’s third season in the WNBA. Golden State is the No.2 seed at 22-9, and the squad ranks second in net rating. The Valkyries lead the league in defensive rating, and they have improved on the other side of the ball, ranking sixth in offensive rating.
Golden State is coming off a blowout, road win over the Wings on Friday, 94-76. Veronica Burton and Gabby Williams led the way, scoring 22 and 19 points, respectively, and the Valkyries have only lost twice in their last 14. The one thing working against Golden State is that this game is in Los Angeles and the club is 9-5 on the road this season, compared to 13-4 at home.
Sparks vs. Valkyries Pick, Best Bet
While the Sparks snapping the Lynx’s winning streak was very impressive, Los Angeles is still one of the worst teams in the league. The club should come back down to earth in this matchup vs. the Valkyries, and Golden State should come out on top.
The most attractive wager here is backing this game to go over its 169.5-point total. While the Valkyries are the best defense in the league, both the Valkyries and Sparks have been better on offense lately, and Los Angeles leads the WNBA in pace. The Sparks are 19-11 for the over this season, and this 169.5-point line just feels too low.
