Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Minnesota Lynx vs Los Angeles Sparks: Do the Sparks stand any chance against the best team in the West?
The Minnesota Lynx are looking for their eighth consecutive win over the Los Angeles Sparks when the two meet tonight at the Crypto.com Arena.
The Lynx have a promising season
The Minnesota Lynx are on top of the Western Conference with a 15-6 record, including 5-4 on the road. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 74-67 win over the Washington Mystics. The Lynx are the best three-point shooting team in the league with 39.8% from deep and are ranked second with 45.3% shooting from the field and third, averaging 84.5 points per game. Napheesa Collier leads the Lynx with 20 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
The Sparks are struggling lately
The Los Angeles Sparks are fifth in the Western Conference with a 5-16 record, including 4-6 at home. After losing eight consecutive games, they won 98-93 in overtime against the defending champions Las Vegas Aces, and then lost 84-78 to the Phoenix Mercury in the lat one. The Sparks are 11th in the league, scoring 77.9 points per game, and are ranked ninth, shooting 42.9% from the field. Dearicka Hamby is the best player on the team, averaging 19.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
Betting Trends
The Lynx are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall, 8-3 ATS in the last 11 games on the road, 11-5 ATS in the last 16 games against teams from the Western Conference, 1-5 ATS in the last 6 games against teams with a losing record and 13-4 ATS in the last 17 games played on Tuesday. Minnesota has played under the total point line in their last four games overall, in their last four games following an ATS loss, in 16 of their last 21 games against teams with a losing record and in 5 of their last 7 games playing after two-day rest. The Sparks are 5-0 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning record, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss and 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games played on Tuesday. Los Angeles has played under the total point line in their last four games against teams with a winning record and in 6 of their last 7 games following a loss.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Los Angeles Sparks are having a disappointing season, but the win against the Aces showed that this team has potential. The Lynx, on the other hand, look like a real contender to go deep this season. They had a tough week, losing three games, and this is a chance for them to start building a winning streak. The Lynx have won the last eight games against the Sparks, and that run will continue tonight with another one covering the -5.5-point spread.