As things stand, the Los Angeles Sparks and the Portland Fire are well outside the playoff picture. Sunday’s trade deadline is likely to see some big names on the move, and some may be coming from LA and Portland. But we’ve got a game to play first and foremost.
The Sparks enter as 1.5-point road favorites with -120 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Fire are +100 underdogs, with the game total set at 184.5 points.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction, and pick for this Sparks-Fire matchup.
Sparks vs. Fire Prediction, Preview
Editor’s Note: G Kelsey Plum has been traded to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for G Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first round pick and a 2028 second-round pick, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
These teams have met only once so far, an 89-72 win for the Sparks in Commissioner’s Cup play. LA got excellent performances from their stars in that one. Both Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby had monster double-doubles: the former had 20 points and 17 rebounds, while the latter had 22 points and 12 boards. Kelsey Plum, who is likely to be traded by the end of Sunday, had 16 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. The flimsy Sparks defense managed to hold Portland to 38% shooting in one of their most impressive defensive performances of the season.
If the Fire want their revenge, they’ll need better performances from their top scorers. They only got 23 combined points from Sarah Ashlee Barker, Bridget Carleton, and Carla Leite in that first matchup. Megan DiLeo (formerly Gustafson) was the only starter to get it going the first time around, posting 16 points and 11 rebounds. If you’re not racking up buckets against this Sparks defense, it’s time to ask serious questions in the film room.
For LA, it’s about handling adversity. The Sparks are all but certain to trade Plum before the start of the game, as the deadline falls a half hour before tipoff. Plum came to LA hoping to lead the team into a new era of contention, but with those hopes spiraling out of control, trading the impending free agent makes all the sense in the world. Still, it’s not easy for this team to digest. Veterans like Ogwumike, Hamby, Erica Wheeler, and Ariel Atkins could be wondering if they’re next, assuming they survive the deadline. Young core pieces like Rae Burrell and Cameron Brink could question if this team has any direction, and there are likely to be more young players coming back in the deal. It’s a strange time in La La Land.
Portland may also be making some moves before tipoff, but they are largely comfortable. As a debuting expansion team, the expectation is that there will be struggles, and struggles there have been. The squad is young, and most of the players they’ve bet on have stepped into their roles well. There is still work to do here, but management is unlikely to panic and will instead trust the process.
Now that we know these teams a bit better, who is going to pull out the win, and how should we bet this game?
Sparks vs. Fire Pick, Best Bet
Points, points, and more points. That’s what you’re going to see here. These are two of the worst defenses in the W, and they each have the offensive personnel to take advantage of those weaknesses. It’s hard to call the result without knowing which trades will be made, but there should be plenty of buckets regardless.
