Just two games back of the Chicago Sky — who hold the eighth and final WNBA playoff spot — the Los Angeles Sparks host the Chicago Sky with a chance to creep closer to that postseason berth.
Sky vs Sparks predictions
My best bet
Under 160.5 (-110 at FanDuel)
My analysis
Talk about a rude return to regular season action, as both teams were crushed in their first games out of the Olympic break. The Chicago Sky took an 85-65 thumping at the hands of the Mercury while the Los Angeles Sparks were clubbed 103-68 by the W-leading Liberty.
The Sky’s 65 points were the second-lowest output of the season, as leading scorer Chennedy Carter missed the game with a non-COVID illness. She's expected to be in the lineup Saturday night. Chicago isn’t a great 3-point shooting team — ranking 10th at 30.3% on the season — but they are the league’s top rebounding team while also scoring a league-leading 42.6 points per game in the paint.
After Hamby, Azura Stevens and Rickea Jackson will also be working the inside, which should prove to be a challenge for ROY candidate Angel Reese, who is tied for the top spot in rebounding at 12 per game.
This will be the first meeting between these teams since they met back on May 30, an 83-73 Sky win. Two of Chicago’s starters in that win won’t be playing, as center Elizabeth Williams is done for the year and guard Marina Mabrey was dealt to Connecticut. L.A.’s lineup is altered too, with rookie Cameron Brink also done for the year.
What hasn’t changed is the Sky (78.7 ppg) and Sparks (78.5 ppg) being two of the three lowest-scoring teams in the WNBA. With both teams’ scoring primarily coming in the paint and the post, the Under has cashed in six of the last seven meetings.
Look for that trend to continue in this matchup with some big stakes attached to it.
Sky vs Sparks same-game parlay (SGP)
Under 160.5
Dearica Hamby 20+ points
Azura Stevens Over 6.5 rebounds
While she put up decent numbers with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists, Hamby struggled with five turnovers in the loss to the Liberty. That does tend to happen when you’re playing against the league’s No. 1 seed, which also happens to have a Top-3 scoring defense.
Chicago isn’t a slouch, but it’s in a different tier, ranking sixth in scoring defense at 81.4 points per game. Hamby had a monster outing in L.A.’s lone meeting with the Sky this year, scoring 24 points and grabbing 13 boards. She’s gone for 20+ points 10 times this season and in such an important game, she should be featured prominently in the L.A.'s offensive plans.
Meanwhile, Stevens struggled against the Liberty, shooting 2-for-7 from the field for five points and four rebounds. She entered the Olympic break after the best game of the year, going for 24 points and 15 boards against Seattle.
Before Thursday, she had topped her 6.5-rebound line the previous two games and missed hitting the Over in the other two by a single board. Look for better activity on the glass tonight.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Sky vs Sparks odds
Sky vs Sparks live odds
Get the latest Sky vs. Sparks WNBA odds for tonight.
Sky vs Sparks opening odds
- Spread: Chicago -1.5 | Los Angeles +1.5
- Moneyline: Chicago -135 | Los Angeles +115
- Over/Under: Over 160.5 | Under 160.5
Sky vs Sparks spread and Over/Under analysis
- Chicago has won six of the last seven head-to-head meetings.
- Los Angeles is 5-5 ATS in its last 10 games.
- The Under is 8-2-0 in the last 10 meetings.
- The Sky have cashed the Under in four of their last six games.
Sky vs Sparks trend
The Sky are 2-4 ATS in their last six games. Find more WNBA betting trends for Sky vs. Sparks.
Sky vs Sparks game info
| Location: | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date: | Saturday, 8-17-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 5:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | CW 26, Spectrum SportsNet |
Sky vs Sparks latest injuries
Sky: Elizabeth Williams C (Out).
Sparks: Lexie Brown G (Out), Cameron Brink F (Out), Julie Allemand G (Out).
Find our latest WNBA injury reports.
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