WNBA Friday: O'Sullivan apologizes for parlay stupidity, likes home 'dog in Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks

Based on my piece from yesterday, my editor suggested any book I write on gambling should be titled Parlays Are Stupid, given that, well, I said just that even as I was making four - count 'em, four - of them. Perhaps it should be titled I Am Stupid.

Based on last night's results, the full title should be Parlays Are Stupid: And Dallas Will Betray You. After all of my kind words, Dallas Wings, you go and shoot 34.7% from the floor. Arike Ogunbowale? 8-19. Satou Sabally? 2-7. Marina Mabrey? 0-8.

7-20 from three. You’ve heard of the “dagger three”? These 13 misfires were “dagger missed threes.” Each miss a dagger in this gambler’s heart.

And just like that, two parlays are destroyed. On the surface, they’re just part of a mediocre 4-5 evening. But you all, we all, know better. Do I deserve that?

Yes. Yes, I do. I feel so cold and so, so alone. Oh, yeah, and stupid. For I am stupid.

Seattle O’Sullivan so far: 32-24

Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks, 10:30 pm EDT

The Pick: Los Angeles +4.5 (-110)

Only one game on the docket today, perhaps to give me no chance to even attempt a parlay…This is the second game of a two-game series between Phoenix and Los Angeles, with the Sparks again hosting the Mercury. Wednesday night, Los Angeles was without suspended guard Te’a Cooper, the spread was Los Angeles +5.5 points, and the Sparks covered that easily, winning 85-80. Tonight Cooper is back, and the spread? Los Angeles is getting 4.5. As I’m discovering is some sort of mantra, I find myself saying, “What am I missing here?” Although Phoenix has lost four in a row and thus should be hungrier than ever, and center Brittney Griner had 30 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday’s game, I like how Sparks center Amanda Zahui B. takes Griner away from the basket enough to let the Sparks offense cook. Los Angeles is still giving up the second-fewest points per game (78.5) in the WNBA, and they turn their opponents over the most in the league, 19.5 times per game. L.A. is 5-1 against the spread in their last six and 14-2 straight up in their last 16 against Phoenix. The Sparks are also 19-6 over their last 25 at home. I’m not sure how beating Phoenix by 5 and getting an important cog back in Cooper makes them a mere one point better than Wednesday to the oddsmakers. Home dog, take the points.