The Sparks are headed to Sin City to take on the Aces. This is the first time these teams have squared off this season, but if the books are to be believed, this is going to be an uphill battle for LA. With the Sparks still dealing with some injuries, Vegas will have the advantage with A’ja Wilson leading the way!
Rickea Jackson Out
Rae Burrell Out
Cameron Brink Out
Megan Gustafson Out
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus Out
This should be an intriguing matchup when we finally see these teams fully healthy. Unfortunately, that won’t be today. We’ve seen the Sparks overcome challenges this season as Kelsey Plum and Azura Stevens try to keep things under control. However, they have already fallen to a 2-4 record this season, with some tough losses, like Tuesday’s heartbreaker against the Dream. We’ll see what they can do against this feisty Aces team, though.
The Aces have been performing well so far. With a 2-2 record this year, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, but with A’ja Wilson warming up, things are starting to trend upward. We’ve seen her be the one-woman army this team has needed. She’s already leading the team in points, assists, and rebounds. She’ll need a bit more help from her teammates, though, as they’ve struggled to support her much in scoring-wise. The team overall is only converting 37% of their shot attempts, which just isn’t going to win many games. Jackie Young has been one of the only other players really contributing, so unless we see more from Gray or Loyd, this game might be closer than expected.
In terms of the matchup, the Aces have some key advantages, mainly down low. With Cameron Brink still out, they don’t have anyone who can effectively match up against Wilson. Considering how dominant she’s been on both ends of the court, this will pose a challenge for the Sparks. Hamby will probably be their best option to counter her, but it’s still going to be tough. For the Sparks, they need to use the three-ball effectively tonight. They’ve shot fairly well this season, mainly thanks to Plum’s hot hand, but if they’re raining in threes, we could be in for an exciting game. Overall, though, I think Vegas takes this one. They’ve shown their ability to dominate games like this one, and with the better roster, it’s hard to bet against them. So I’m leaning toward the Vegas moneyline, over the 165.5 points total, and taking the Sparks spread.
Money line: LAS (+400) / LVA (-535)
Total Points: 165.5
Spread: +10 LAS (-108) / -10 LVA (-112)
We’ve seen Hamby shine lately. She’s had some standout nights already this season, including a 28-point explosion against the Dream and 25 against the Valkyries. She’s been dominant in the paint, but it’s getting to the line where she’s made the real difference. She’s averaging nearly 7 attempts from the line per game, and when her other shots go in, she’s been right in the ballpark for this line.
It seems like A’ja is still warming up this season. She’s only surpassed this line in one game and has averaged around 20 points. It’s still early, and she’s bound to turn it around, but this line seems a bit too high. The under looks like the safe bet tonight.
Stevens is one of those players who can dominate the boards. She’s had a game with 17 rebounds this season, but that appears to be the exception. With the line set at 9.5, the under seems appealing, especially since they’re facing the Aces. They may not have a direct matchup for her size, but their team rebounding could pose challenges for Stevens tonight. With Stevens already falling below this line three times this season, the under appears promising!