There’s a solo showdown for WNBA betting today with the Los Angeles Sparks visiting the Dallas Wings in a Western Conference clash Wednesday, with an afternoon tip time of 1 p.m. ET.
Dallas and L.A. enter this contest with similar up-and-down results and could be two of the tougher teams to measure a month into the season.
Both have picked up their wins against the bottom-tier teams — Phoenix, Seattle, Atlanta, Minnesota — and both have come up short against stronger foes like Las Vegas, Connecticut, New York and Washington.
Today’s WNBA odds paint that picture, with the Wings laying a short number at home and the spread bouncing up and down with early action.
I dig into that spread as well as the Over/Under total for this Lone Star shootout and give my best WNBA picks and predictions for Sparks at Wings on June 14.
Sparks vs Wings best odds
Sparks vs Wings picks and predictions
As mentioned, gauging the success of these teams is difficult, as they really haven’t beaten any quality competition so far.
The Wings have hung tough with teams like Connecticut, New York, and Washington but hold a 3-5-1 record against the spread with a net rating of +2.2 through nine games — just one of five teams with a positive net rating on the season.
Los Angeles is one of those positive teams — just barely. The Sparks boast a net rating of +0.6 and are 4-3-1 ATS on the season, but those metrics take a turn for the worse when the team hits the highway. Los Angeles is just 1-3 SU and ATS as a visitor with that net rating nosediving to -9.0.
And while L.A. did take a 93-65 waxing at the hands of the mighty Aces in Las Vegas last month, the other three road games have come against the likes of Minnesota, Seattle, and Phoenix — the latter of which required overtime to escape with that lone road victory.
The Sparks see their offensive output dip away from L.A., but the defense very much takes a step back. The team’s defensive rating swells like it got stung by a bee, ballooning from 95.1 at home to 103.3 on the road. Los Angeles has given up an average of 85.6 points to host teams and now faces one of the most explosive attacks in the WNBA.
The Wings run the fastest pace in the league, which has produced 86.3 points per outing — second-most in the land. Much like the Sparks, Dallas’ defensive intensity swings on venue. The Wings are much tougher at home, with a defensive rating of 93.6 (second-best) inside College Park Center.
The Wings have also emerged as a strong rebounding team and hit the offensive glass better than most, resulting in a league-high 15 second-chance points per contest. The Sparks were dominated on the boards in Sunday’s loss at Minnesota, with the Lynx outrebounding L.A. 38-24 with eight of those coming on the offensive glass.
Dallas’ rebounding strength has fed its speedy transition offense, which ranks third in fastbreak points. The Sparks enter Wednesday potentially down a starting forward and giving up a league-high 14.6 fastbreak points per game — a stat that spikes to 15.5 away from home.
Given my personal power rating (Dallas -4.25) leaning toward the Wings and a line that will certainly go up if Chiney Ogwumike sits again, as well as L.A.’s terrible defensive drop on the road, I’m grabbing the home favorite at the shortest price I can find.
My best bet: Wings -3.5 (-115)
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Covers June receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook or betting site.
Best WNBA bonuses
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the WNBA, here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users at FanDuel can get a no-sweat first bet up to $2,500! Sign Up Now
B) New users at DraftKings can bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only. Also, check out our full list of best promo codes for 2023.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Sparks vs Wings spread and Over/Under analysis
Both the Sparks and Wings enter Wednesday off a loss, with Los Angeles losing at Minnesota and Dallas getting dropped in New York on Sunday. The Sparks have battled through injuries and illness to start the 2023 campaign and have some question marks on the injury report.
Standout forward Chiney Ogwumike is listed as questionable after sitting out the past two games with a foot injury. Los Angeles is already without guard Layshia Clarendon, who will miss 4-6 weeks with a foot injury of her own.
Dallas will be without guard Crystal Dangerfield again and continues to run small inside with center Teaira McCowan away in international competition, compounding the absence of forward Diamond DeShields, who has yet to play this season.
The Wings opened as low as -2.5 at some offshore markets before a quick move to -3.5, where most mainstream operators opened their markets. That spread jumped to as high as Dallas -5 before trimming to -4.5. However, as of Wednesday morning, you can find the Wings -3.5 and Sparks +4.5 if you shop around at different books.
My WNBA power ratings produced a spread of Dallas -4.25 but that number will sway if Ogwumike sits out again.
Wednesday’s total hit the board as low as 165.5 points and has since climbed to as high as 167.5 with some buyback to the Under settling in at 167 points as of Wednesday morning.
The Wings and Sparks rank Top 5 in pace rating in the WNBA and have both leaned Over so far in 2023. Dallas is 5-4 Over/Under but 2-2 O/U at home while L.A. owns a 5-3 O/U mark with a 2-2 O/U record on the road.
Sparks vs Wings betting trend to know
The Over is 8-3 in Sparks' last 11 games overall. Find more WNBA betting trends for Sparks vs. Wings.
Sparks vs Wings game info
| Location: | College Park Center, Arlington, TX |
| Date: | Wednesday, June 14, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 1:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBATV |
Sparks vs Wings key injuries
Sparks: Chiney Ogwumike F (Questionable), Layshia Clarendon G (Out).
Wings: Diamond DeShields G (Out), Lou Lopez Senechal F (Out), Crystal Dangerfield G (Out).
Find our latest WNBA injury reports.
