A meeting between WNBA teams takes place at 10:30 PM EDT on Tuesday. The Indiana Fever (5-22) visit the Los Angeles Sparks (10-14) to wrap up a long day of basketball.
It’s a game the Sparks need, as one of six teams within two games of one another. They’re competing for three postseason spots, which the Sparks currently hold the last one, but that could change in one night.
The Fever are the only team basically out of playoff contention. They are very young and have struggled to get anything going this season.
Check out our Fever vs. Sparks betting analysis, and make sure to stay tuned for more free WNBA picks!
WNBA Game Records
The Fever can sometimes be a free WNBA picks with how poorly they’ve played this year. Last time out, they lost to the Seattle Storm 81-65, falling behind by 11 in the first quarter and then set back another nine in the fourth quarter.
NaLyssa Smith scored a team-high 15 points, with Emma Cannon adding 14 off the bench and Queen Egbo another 13.
Sparks Performance Recap
The Sparks have not played since Thursday, an 80-68 loss to the Chicago Sky. Big second and third quarters by the defending champs led to a 20-point lead which would be cut to 12.
Liz Cambage did not play, but four scorers were in double figures for the Sparks, led by Nneka Ogwumike’s 16.
Fever vs Sparks Betting Analysis
Odds WNBA show the Sparks are favored by 8.5 points, and the over/under is 163.5. Los Angeles is the underdogs at -425 on the moneyline, while the Fever are +320.
Indiana Fever Analysis
As expected, the Fever’s WNBA players’ stats are among the worst in the league. The Fever are scoring the second worst 77.7 points per game while having the worst shooting percentage of 40.3%. Their 33.4% on 3-pointers is second worst, and 73.5% on free throws is the worst.
Defensively, of course, they are the worst at 88.3 points allowed per game, with teams converting 46.9% of attempts against them and 34.9% of 3-pointers, which is eighth.
Fever Ranking Position
Both rebounding for (34.0 per game) and (36.3 per game) rank eighth in the league. Veteran Kelsey Mitchell paces the Fever at 18.6 points per game and 4.0 assists per game.
She’s one of three players in double-figure scoring alongside Smith (13.0 ppg) and Victoria Vivians (10.3 ppg). Smith has been one of seven rookies who has stood out the best.
Los Angeles Sparks Analysis
The Sparks have perhaps overachieved slightly this season. They have the second worst defense, allowing 86.0 points per game, 45.9% opposing shooting percentage, and 37.6% opposing 3-point shooting percentage.
Their offense is seventh, scoring 80.8 points per game with a 45.2% field goal percentage (fourth), 34.4% 3-point percentage (seventh), and 77.2% free throw percentage (11th).
Sparks Ranking Position
That shows a clear edge on the interior with Ogwumike, Liz Cambage, and others. That duo combines to score 31.6 points per game while pulling in 13.6 rebounds per game.
A third forward, Katie Lou Samuelson, is scoring 10.8 points per game, with guard Brittney Sykes averaging 10.7 per contest.
The frontcourt hasn’t led to a rebounding edge, though, as the Sparks only pull in 31.7 per contest, the second worst rate in the league. Meanwhile, they give up 34.4 per contest, ranking seventh.
WNBA Injury Report
Lexie Hull, a rookie out of Stanford, is out indefinitely with a wrist injury for the Fever. The Sparks list guard Chennedy Carter as questionable with a knee injury.
Star center Liz Cambage is out indefinitely with an illness, and Rae Burrell is still not expected back for another week with a knee injury.
Indiana Fever at Los Angeles Sparks Betting Preview
The Fever are 0-4 against the spread over their last four meetings in Los Angeles and 4-11 against the spread in the last 15, regardless of location.
Indiana has lost nine straight with a 2-7 record against the spread in that stretch. The over is 4-5 in those contests. For the season, they are 9-18 against the spread and 14-12-1 on over/under.
The Sparks are 5-5 in their last ten but are on a three-game losing streak. Over the last 10, they are 6-4 against the spread, and the over/under is a 5-5 split.
For the season, they are 12-12 against the spread and 14-10 on over/under.
Indiana Fever vs. Los Angeles Sparks Betting Prediction
The Fever are mostly healthy and have good guards to counter the strong frontcourt of Los Angeles. It’s an interesting matchup and a game the Sparks need to desperately win.
The margin for a playoff spot is so slim that beating the only team who isn’t a threat to claim one of those spots is a must. Still, the Fever have an opportunity to curb their winning streak. We’ll take the Fever +8.5.
More and more sportsbooks are offering WNBA odds in their daily wagering. Find one that best suits your needs, though the odds will be similar.
WNBA Pick
On the moneyline, a $100 bet on the Fever and victory would net a $320 profit and a total payout of $420. A Sparks profit of $100 would take a $425 bet and win straight up to pay out $525.
The over/under is total points combined, so betting over 163.5 means the two teams need to score at least 164 points to win. Betting the under means both teams need to combine for 162 points or less.
Betting against the spread means the Sparks need to win by nine or more to cover -8.5. The Fever need to lose by eight or less or win outright to cover +8.5.
WNBA Pick: -8.5 (-110)
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