The Portland Fire and Los Angeles Sparks will be watching the WNBA playoffs from the couch this year, but that sets the stage for a pressure-free contest tonight at crypto.com Arena.
My Fire vs Sparks prediction backs L.A. as a slight 52% favorite here, especially with Nneka Ogwumike in do-it-all mode in the final contests of her career.
Dig into this Sept. 20 clash with my free WNBA picks and betting angles.
TOP PICK
Fire vs Sparks prediction: Sparks moneyline
Not much has gone to plan for the Los Angeles Sparks this season, but I'm buying into a home win tonight, with Nneka Ogwumike & Co. covering the spread in four of their last five outings.
In contrast, the Portland Fire are 1-6 SU in their past seven contests, and they've dropped both matchups against L.A. this year, including an ugly 89-72 thumping at crypto.com Arena in June.
While the Sparks may be without Dearica Hamby and Cameron Brink, the Fire have injury concerns of their own, particularly sharpshooter Bridget Carleton, who's dealing with an ankle issue.
Los Angeles hung with the Dallas Wings in a tight first half on Thursday, so I'll lean into the hosts' backcourt strength and fade an erratic Portland offense up to 55%.
COVERS INTEL: The Fire have two major weaknesses for L.A. to exploit. They allow the most assists per game in the WNBA (22.9) and commit the second-most fouls per game (22), so that sets up the Sparks to go past their 87.1 ppg season average. 
Fire vs Sparks combo
The Sparks won't mind tonight's battle turning into a shootout — like their 106-101 victory in Portland last month. With no playoff implications on the line, expect both offenses to take off here, and the Over is 11-9 this year when the Fire are road underdogs.
Plus, L.A.'s frontcourt injuries should mean easier looks for the Portland guards when they drive into the paint.
I'm also banking on Rae Burrell to deliver an efficient scoring night. The Sparks' injury list will likely create more shots for Burrell and Ariel Atkins, and Ogwumike can't do all the scoring alone. Burrell has gone past this points O/U number in six of her last nine games.
Fire vs Sparks combo
- Sparks moneyline
- Over 175.5
- Rae Burrell Over 15.5 points
Want more basketball combos? Check out our WNBA parlay picks page!
- Top picks: 10-11, -2.05 units
- Combos: 4-17, -4.60 units
Fire vs Sparks odds
- Spread: Fire +1.5 (52%) | Sparks -1.5 (49%)
- Moneyline: Fire 48% | Sparks 52%
- Over/Under: Over 175.5 (55%) | Under 175.5 (46%)
Fire vs Sparks trend
The Over is 12-8 in Sparks home games this season. Find more WNBA betting trends.
How to watch Fire vs Sparks
| Location | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date | Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | USA Network |
Fire vs Sparks latest injuries
Fire: Bridget Carleton F (Questionable), Jordan Harrison G (Questionable), Teja Oblak G (Out).
Sparks: Dearica Hamby F (Doubtful), Cameron Brink F (Doubtful), Aaliyah Nye G (Doubtful).
Find our latest WNBA injury reports.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
