The Wings are hosting the Sparks on Friday. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Los Angeles is favored by 3.5 points and this game presents a total of 178 points.
Below, I break down the matchup between the Wings and the Sparks and give a pick for the game.
Wings vs. Sparks preview, prediction
The Sparks will face the Wings for the second time this season Friday and in the first matchup, Los Angeles defeated Dallas 93-79 on it’s home floor. This was back in early June and since the the All-Star break, the Sparks and Wings have been on very different paths.
During this span, Los Angeles is 7-3 and ranks fifth in net rating, as the club fights to earn a playoff spot with less than a month remaining in the regular season. Dallas on the other hand is 3-7 and ranks second-to-last in net rating since the All-Star break.
Kelsey Plum has been outstanding in her first season with Los Angeles, leading the team with 20 PPG and Dearica Hamby has also been stellar for the Sparks, averaging a career-high 17.7 PPG.
The Wings are led by rookie phenom Paige Bueckers, who is averaging 18.4 PPG this season. With the UConn product in town, Arike Ogunbowale has take a step backwards, but the four-time All-Star has still be very effective, ranking second for Dallas with 15.5 PPG.
However, Ogunbowale is dealing with a knee injury and is likely to miss her second game in a row Friday, as the veteran wasn’t able to practice Thursday. The Wings did upset the Caitlin Clark-less Fever 81-80 with Ogunbowale inactive Tuesday, but Dallas’ offense has struggled with Ogunbowale off the floor this season and it’s difficult to expect another upset from the Wings on Friday.
Wings vs. Sparks pick, best bet
After the nail biting win over the Fever, the Wings should come back down to earth Friday, especially if Ogunbowale remains out as expected, and the Sparks should improve to 2-0 vs. Dallas this season with a win.
Los Angeles is a rock solid 9-7 on the road this season and the Sparks are a strong wager to cover this 3.5-point spread.
