The Sparks are hosting the Dream on Thursday night. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Atlanta is favored by 8.5 points and this game carries a total of 179.5 points.
Let’s get into my pick and prediction for this contest.
Sparks vs. Dream Preview
This will be the first of two matchups between the Sparks and Dream in the next week. These clubs have met once this season on July 13th and Atlanta won that matchup on it’s home floor, 101-92.
The Dream and Sparks have opposite records this season. Atlanta is the No.5 seed at 22-13 and ranks fourth in net rating while Los Angeles is the No.12 seed at 13-22 and ranks 12th in net rating. The Dream are a lock to make the playoffs, whereas the Sparks are lottery bound for the sixth straight year.
With the standings tight, the Dream are only 1.5 games back of the Fever for the No.3 seed, so Atlanta still has plenty to play for tonight, while the Sparks have nothing at stake. The Dream have been strong recently, winning nine of their last 12 and the squad is coming off an impressive 97-82 road win over the defending champion Aces.
Atlanta’s core was awesome in this victory, with Rhyne Howard leading the way with 23 points, Angel Reese and Allisha Gray both adding 21 points, and Jordin Canada finishing with 17 points. When these four are clicking, the Dream are tough to beat and if they can ride this wave into tonight’s matchup vs. the Sparks, it could be smooth sailing for Atlanta.
The Sparks have dropped five in a row and have only won twice in their last 14. One of those victories was an impressive, road win over the top-seeded Lynx, snapping a 10-game winning streak for Minnesota, but Los Angeles hasn’t won a game since. In fact, the Sparks are on the heels of a terrible loss to the Sun, 85-77. Britney Griner missed this game for Connecticut and this is just the second time the Sun have won in 16 games without her this season.
While this was embarrassing for the Sparks, in their defense, they were shorthanded, with Cameron Brink (ribs), Erica Wheeler (ribs) and Monique Akoa Makani (ankle) all out. Thankfully, these three are listed as probable and will return tonight, giving Los Angeles some much needed depth.
Akoa Makani has missed the last five games, but she has been strong in her limited time with the Sparks since being acquired by the team at the trade deadline in the Kelsey Plum deal. Akoa Makani is a great defender and in just her second game with the Sparks, she finished a +20 in the box score in her 19 minutes off the bench in the major upset win over the Lynx.
Makani could be limited in her return tonight, but even a small dose of the guard will go a long way in attempting to slow down Howard and Gray. With Plum out of town, Rae Burrell, Dearica Hamby and Nneka Ogwumike have been the Sparks’ main scorers and while this trio has been solid, their efforts haven’t translated into wins. Los Angeles oddly has been worse at home this season with a 5-11 record and this could be an uphill battle for the squad tonight with the Dream visiting.
Sparks vs. Dream Pick, Best Bet
While the Sparks are getting some key players back tonight, they don’t have anything to play for at this point of the season, while the Dream are fighting for a higher seed with the playoffs quickly approaching. Atlanta has far and away been the better team this season and the club should win this game.
With Akoa Makani back for the Sparks and the Dream ranking fourth in defensive rating, 180.5 points feels too high for this matchup and under this number is my preferred way to bet on this tilt. This season, Atlanta is 11-6 for the under in away games.
