The Money Line: WNBA odds, predictions for Friday, June 9
Los Angeles Sparks (-7, -110)
Dallas Wings (+7, -110)
Total: 168.5
After two straight losses to Indiana and Atlanta, the Sparks seem to have mostly woken up. A 90-75 victory at New York, followed up by a not-as-impressive 79-70 win over Chicago, the Sparks are looking to keep things rolling.
It seems that LA has a bit of the same thing going offensively as the Mercury do: have your two stars get theirs, then have one other person chip in. It was slightly different against Chicago, Nneka Ogwumike went for 20 and 11, while Candace Parker scored just 12. No worries Sparks fans, as Alana Beard helped save the game, chipping in a season-high 18 points while also snatching three steals. This Sparks team hasn’t been as impressive as last season so far, but they are still doing some nice things. Ogwumike is second in the league in points per game with 21.2, and the team is second in effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage. Defensively they are middle of the road, but I would expect that to improve.
Dallas, meanwhile, is having the type of season you’re suppose to have with so many rookies on the roster. Their last time out, a 101-89 loss to the Mystics, Dallas played well for the most part but had too many lapses on both ends to pull it out. Skylar Diggins-Smith looked comfortable while scoring 23 points, while Glory Johnson (19) and Theresa Plaisance (13) tried their best to contribute. Defense, though, is the main issue with this team. Second-to-last in defensive rating, opposing team’s are shooting nearly 45% (third highest in the league) against the Wings, while scoring 85.4 points per game (second worst), hauling in 9.9 offensive rebounds (third worst) and making nearly 30 shots from the field (second highest).
They have shown flashes, but it is tough for me to trust this Dallas team. While Los Angeles hasn’t been their usual dominate selves night in and night out, I’m still rolling with them tonight. Give me the Sparks and the under.